TRAI blacklists over 800 entities, disconnects 1.8 million mobile numbers to curb spam calls & SMS fraud

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken significant measures to curb the menace of spam calls and prevent the misuse of SMS headers and content templates by unscrupulous elements in forwarding fraudulent messages. These measures aim to safeguard consumer interests and ensure a clean and secure messaging ecosystem. TRAI issued directions on August 13th this year, mandating that any entity found making promotional voice calls in violation of regulations will face strict consequences. 

In response to these directions, over 800 entities and individuals have



been blacklisted, and more than 1.8 million mobile numbers and telecom resources have been disconnected. Effective October 1st, telemarketing calls starting with the 140xx numbering series have been migrated to the Distributed Ledger Technology (Blockchain) platform for strict monitoring and control. Access providers have implemented technical solutions to ensure traceability of entities involved in sending messages to recipients. This new system ensures that every person handling the message, from the sender to the final delivery, is tracked.