Whatsapp Partners with Telecom Department to Curb Scams, Digital Fraud

In the last few years, online fraud and scam cases have increased rapidly. Instant messaging platform Whatsapp has partnered with the Telecom Department (DOT) to curb this problem. Under this, Digital Intelligence Unit of WhatsApp and Dot will work together.

Content will be provided to the users of this messaging app to help identify online scams and spasms. This content will be in eight regional languages. Last year, WhatsApp started the ‘Avoid Scam Se Avoid’ Campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The control of WhatsApp is with the American social media company Meta. META has reported that it will organize workshops for DOT officials, communication friends (students volunteers), telecom service providers and field units with a view to raising awareness about online frauds and scams.

Recently, Dot had advised to be cautious of calls coming from some foreign codes to avoid scams. These codes include +77, +84, +85, +86 and +89. This type of calls are not made by Dot and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Suspected calls can be reported on the Sanchar Saathi portal. This helps DOT to block these phone numbers. According to a report by the Ministry of Home Affairs, in the first 10 months of the previous year, scammers in the country cheated about Rs 2,140 crore.

Earlier, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center (I4C) and Dot blocked at least 17,000 WhatsApp accounts of foreign hackers. Its goal is to destroy foreign criminal networks and increase the digital security of the country. Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs formed an inter-ministry committee to deal with the increase in organized cybercrime from countries of Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia, Philippines, Laos and Myanmar. About 45 percent of cyber financial frauds in the country is from Southeast Asia. These crimes have grown more complex and big. This causes a lot of damage to the victims. I4C investigation has revealed that cyber criminals to implicate people in their trap, dating apps, dating apps. Cryptocurrency and forged trading offer platforms.