Lok Sabha Question No. 5503 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Citizen Safety & Sanchar Saathi 2.0
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Balabhadra Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5503 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## CITIZEN SAFETY & SANCHAR SAATHI 2.0

## 5503.   SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether more than 4.7 million lost or stolen mobile handsets have been successfully blocked during  2025-26  through  the  Sanchar  Saathi  portal  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  particularly Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency of Odisha;

(b) the  manner  in  which  Chakshu  facility  has  assisted  citizens  in  reporting  over  8.5  lakh suspected  fraudulent  communications  received  through  WhatsApp and whether  complaints  from Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency have been recorded and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the specific impact of the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) in preventing losses to UPI service users;

(d) whether  the  Government  has  successfully  disconnected  over  three  crore  fake  mobile connections using Artificial Intelligence-based facial recognition tools; and

(e) the number of international calls masked as local numbers that were identified and blocked during the year 2025-26 based on citizens' reports, particularly with reference to Nabarangpur Lok Sabha Constituency?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) Sanchar  Saathi  portal  (www.sancharsaathi.gov.in)  and  mobile  app  of  Department  of Telecommunications  (DoT)  facilitates  citizens  to  report  lost/  stolen  mobile  handsets.  Reported mobile handsets are blocked in Indian telecom network. State/ Union Territory-wise statistics for mobile handsets blocked have been made available on the Sanchar Saathi portal for citizens. Lok Sabha constituency wise data is not maintained. However, 391 mobile handsets have been blocked in Nabarangpur district till date.

(b) Chakshu  facility of Sanchar Saathi enables citizens to report the suspected fraud communications received through call, SMS or WhatsApp. Till date, citizens have shared 8.82 lakh suspected fraud communications related inputs on Sanchar Saathi. Lok Sabha constituency wise data is not maintained.

(c) Since  launch  of  Financial  Fraud  Risk  Indicator  (FRI)  in  May  2025,  financial  institutions including Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service providers have reported that based on transaction decline and alert or notifications given to citizens, potential frauds amounting to over ₹1,900 crore have been prevented utilizing FRI.

(d) DoT has developed ASTR which is an artificial intelligence and big data analytics tool that identifies suspicious mobile connections. Such numbers are shared with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) through Digital Intelligence Platform. More than 88 lakh such mobile connections have been disconnected after failing reverification.

(e) DoT has developed International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System (CIOR) which is  a  system  to  identify  and  block  incoming  international  spoofed  calls  displaying  Indian  mobile numbers that appear to be originating within India. Since its commissioning on 17.10.2024, CIOR has shown significant results, blocking 1.35 crore calls in 24 hours and has resulted in nearly 99% reduction in spoofed calls with Indian calling line identification. Calls that still land on international gateways are blocked there itself. Lok Sabha constituency wise data for blocking of such calls is not maintained.

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