The government of India has recently announced digital Intelligence Unit (DIU). The DIU will communicate with the financial institutions, telcos, and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to investigate fraudulent acts committed through telecom resources. A redressal mechanism is being set up by the government, which will help users facing financial frauds and harassment through pesky calls or SMS file real-time complaints against the telemarketers or individuals. The government will facilitate users with a mobile application as well as a website platform and SMS system to lodge the complaints — more details on the story ahead.
Government Will Block SIM cards and Device of Perpetrators Directly
According to an ET Telecom report, the government is setting aside Rs 20 to 25 crore initially for setting up the system. As soon as the complaints start coming in, the government will block the SIM card and the device of the perpetrator directly through its system.
This will help the users gain their confidence back in making online transactions primarily through their smartphones. In a meeting held on Monday, Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's telecom minister, ordered strict action against all the telemarketers and individuals who harass mobile users in India.
Telemarketers or individuals who are found victims will also have to pay penalties because of the violation of laws set by the government. Prasad has also directed the telcos and the telemarketers to immediately stop the fraudulent behaviour and harassment towards the telecom subscribers in India.
The government has also asked the telcos to set up and define SMS headers format which every telemarketer or individual sending out bulk messages will have to follow. The telcos have extended the last date (January 31, 2021) for implementing the new SMS templates for the businesses until further notice. This is because the new SMS template was hard for around 50% of the businesses, including financial institutions to understand.
