DoT takes a big action, 1.75 crore SIM cards blocked, 22 lakh WhatsApp accounts also blocked

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To curb the increasing cyber crimes in the country, the government has now started a do-or-die battle. The strict steps taken by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have given sleepless nights to the criminals. The department has recently informed that more than 1.75 crore mobile SIM cards have been closed, out of which lakhs were taken on the basis of fake documents. Apart from this, 22 lakh WhatsApp accounts have also been blocked, which were being used for cyber fraud.

Tightening the noose on fake SIMs

The first major step in the government’s action was to close more than 78 lakh SIM cards, which were obtained through fake identity cards. They were identified through a state-of-the-art technology called ‘Astra Tool’, which is based on artificial intelligence and face recognition technology. It was first used as a pilot project in Mewat district of Haryana, where about 5 lakh SIMs out of 16.69 lakh SIM cards were found to be fake.

97.5 lakh SIM cards blocked due to suspicion of misuse

The Department of Telecommunications also said that in many cases SIM cards were taken out on the IDs of real people without their knowledge. Such 97.5 lakh SIM cards were identified and blocked with the help of Sanchar Sathi portal. Action was taken after investigating the cases of users who complained that an unknown number had been activated on their identity.

Strict monitoring on WhatsApp too

Not only SIM cards, but the government has also kept a close watch on popular messaging apps like WhatsApp. Due to increasing incidents of cyber fraud, for the first time 22 lakh WhatsApp accounts have been blocked with the help of Sanchar Sathi. It has often been seen that thugs trap common citizens in their net through WhatsApp calls, video calls and phishing messages. A significant decline in such crimes is expected from this major action.

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