Explained: How Telecom Regulator Is Cracking Down On Spam, Fraud Calls

India has seen a surge in marketing robocalls as well as calls from fraudsters duping people by either scaring them or luring them in promising extravagant returns on investment.

Taking action to curb the twin problems of spam calls and fraudsters duping people over the phone, the telecom regulator has directed companies to stop calls from unregistered telemarketers and blacklist them for up to two years.

India has seen a surge in robocalls, which use recorded or computer-generated voices to market something, as well as calls in which consumers are told that their couriers have been stopped by customs or their phones are about to be disconnected. While marketing calls are largely a nuisance, the fraud calls have seen people losing crores and even being made to strip and then blackmailed. 

Going a step further, scamsters have also taken to making robocalls. These begin with a computer-generated voice telling people that the calls are originating from a courier brand or from the government and saying that their courier is stuck, they are being investigated in a case or all their numbers are about to be disconnected - anything that can scare a potential target and lure them in. They are then asked to press a number, after which they are redirected to a fraudster waiting to take advantage of them and clean out their bank accounts.