The Department of Telecom (DoT) has proposed to penalise spam callers by levying financial penalties and enforcing tougher penalties for repeat offences.

The decision is being made as the threat of Unwanted Commercial Communication (UCC) continues to grow.

Scammers are being pursued by two special wings:

To that end, the Department of Telecommunication has established two special wings: the Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) and Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP).

These units will be in charge of tracking telecom network crimes and reducing the threat of unwanted calls and messages.

They will also track and penalise individuals who continue to call those whose phone numbers have been placed on the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) list.

Penalties:

After 50 offences, the monetary penalty is set at Rs 10,000 for each telemarketing call or text.

The Department of Telecommunications wants to tighten the screws even more by imposing a penalty of Rs 1,000 per violation for 0-10 infractions, Rs 5,000 for 10-50 violations, and Rs 10,000 for more than 50 offences.

Under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, there are three levels of violations: 0-100, 100-1,000, and over 1,000.

For verification, DIU will send an automated message to suspected phones.

If the operator does not comply, their phone number may be disconnected, and the IMEIs associated with it may be flagged as suspect.

In addition, the suspicious IMEIs will be barred from sending any call text for a period of 30 days.

Infringement And Its Repercussions:

If scammers try to get around the rules by getting a new device, that device's IMEI number will be added to the suspicious list until it is re-verified.

If the number is reactivated after re-verification, the new connection will be limited to 20 calls and 20 SMSes per day for the next six months.

If they persist, their identity and address proof used to purchase phone lines might be barred for two years.

What Can the Citizens Do?

To opt-out of UCC, send an SMS to 1909 with the phrase "STOP" and the name of the company that is sending the spam messages.

Any UCC sent by the perpetrator will be prohibited, with the exception of transactional communications.

The Department of Transportation will also establish a grievance redress system for the public to file concerns and seek resolution with UCC.

(Source: Trak)

(Image Credits: By Gerd Altmann on Pixabay)