Indian Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a new instruction. According to the instructions, orders have been given to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app on all new mobile handsets (smartphones). This will apply to those phones which are manufactured in India or are being imported from other countries and sold in the country. Its main objective is to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new smartphones, so that it becomes easier for the users to protect themselves from cyber security and fraud.
This app was set-up in May 2023. It lets you report lost mobiles and malicious web links and block them. It also helps in knowing the number of mobile connections in the name of the users and checking the reliable contact details of banks and financial institutions.
OTP verification is not necessary for international calls
According to an official of the Department of Telecommunications, this app will make it easier to report fraud. He said that currently, reporting time varies as users have to visit the website to report a fraudulent or stolen mobile phone.
On reporting fraud through the app, the official said that the portal is quite advanced and users do not need to remember their IMEI number. The app will also provide other services, such as checking mobile connections issued in the user’s name, verifying whether the handset is genuine and reporting suspicious conversations or spam. The app can also help users report international calls from Indian numbers. For this, OTP verification is not required on the phone.
What is the benefit of this?
According to the Sanchar Sathi website, more than 42.14 lakh mobiles have been blocked under this initiative. More than 26.11 lakh lost or stolen mobile handsets have been traced. Requests have been received from more than 288 lakh people to get information about the mobile connection registered in their name. Of these, more than 254 lakh requests have been resolved.
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