No freedom from spam calls, 95% Indians are falling prey, survey reveals

Despite the efforts of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), spam calls and messages have become a growing problem in the country. Recent surveys show that this problem is far from being solved. According to a recent survey, about 95% of Indians are now dealing with unwanted calls and messages daily, with such cases increasing significantly in the last six months. The Do Not Disturb (DND) feature on phones is proving ineffective in stopping these calls.

A recent survey by Local Circles shows that 95% of Indian mobile users receive spam calls daily. Scammers are adopting new tricks to cheat people, 77% of mobile users receive at least three such calls per day. These calls are mainly related to home loans, credit cards, and other financial services. The survey indicates that the incidence of such calls has increased from 54% to 66% in the last six months.

Ineffectiveness of the DND feature

The Do Not Disturb (DND) feature implemented by smartphones and telecom companies is not able to effectively curb spam calls and messages. People are facing a lot of trouble due to these unwanted communications, while scammers are adopting many new strategies to deceive people.

TRAI measures

TRAI had earlier directed telecom companies to curb promotional messages, for which a deadline of September 1 was set. Now this deadline has been extended to October 1, 2024. TRAI aims to curb fake and spam calls. The regulatory body has said that if an entity misuses its SIP/PRI lines for spam calls, all telecom resources of that entity will be disconnected by its telecom service provider (TSP). Also, the entity will be blacklisted.