Telecom Tower Frauds Increasing in India, What You Must Know

A striking aspect of India’s development story has been the telecom revolution. The country leapfrogged to mobile telecommunications in a manner and at a pace that has been truly revolutionary. Today, mobile phones are a must-have in Indian society. Much of this has been possible due to the tireless efforts of the telecom industry in bringing the best possible services to its consumers.

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Over the last few years, telecom networks have rapidly expanded in the country. Today, more than 6.47 lakh (as on April 1, 2021) mobile towers, that familiar symbol of mobile telephony, can be found in the country, with 51,000 being added in the last year itself. This has had a great impact in providing seamless connectivity to consumers across the country.

Unfortunately, it has also attracted unwanted attention—this time from telecom tower fraudsters.

Money and Mobile towers

How do these fraudsters operate? Presenting themselves as agents of Telecom Service Providers, Infrastructure Service Providers or of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), they dupe people by promising benefits like lucrative monthly rents for hosting towers in their premises.

These fraudsters often distribute fake pamphlets and make bogus phone calls. The usual benefits on offer include high rentals, free installation of towers and waiver of mandatory municipal taxes. Often gifts of free mobile phones are also offered.

Once ensnared, gullible property owners are then asked to deposit money in the accounts of these fraudsters in the name of government taxes, for which fake receipts are promptly provided. These receipts are often in the name of some bogus organization or a telecom service provider, or TRAI itself. Expectedly, once payments are made, the frauds close their operations and move on to target their next set of unsuspecting people.