Are you receiving calls from numbers starting with 1600 or 140 on your mobile? Find out if they are important or a threat..

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued important information regarding calls received by consumers from the 1600 and 140 number series. TRAI has dismissed reports raising concerns about these numbers as being based on misconceptions and confusion, stating instead that calls from the 1600 and 140 series are designed to ensure authenticity and trust. TRAI clarified that the 1600 series is used exclusively by regulated entities in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sectors for service- and transaction-related calls.

**Who uses the 1600 series numbers?**
According to TRAI, the 1600 series numbers are used by entities regulated by the RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, and PFRDA to contact their customers. Additionally, government bodies use these numbers to convey important information to the public.

TRAI stated that the purpose of the 1600 series is to ensure the authenticity of important calls received by customers and the public. Under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), calls originating from the 1600 series cannot be tagged, blocked, or filtered.

**Promotional calls from the 140 series**
TRAI stated that the use of the 140 series has been made mandatory for companies and entities across all sectors for making promotional calls. Any entity wishing to make promotional calls must register with the relevant telecom companies under TCCCPR and adhere to regulatory guidelines.

However, the telecom regulator noted that customers have the right to stop these calls via the DND (Do Not Disturb) registry; in other words, customers can block promotional calls. While calls from the 140 series cannot be tagged or filtered, they can be blocked in accordance with DND registry preferences.

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