Relief from spam messages: Real and fake SMS will be identified as soon as they arrive, the government has made big preparations..

Now it has become easier for mobile users to identify spam and real SMS. Telecom operators have started adding new suffixes (letters) to the SMS header, which will help in understanding the identity of the sender and the nature of the message. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) gave this information on Tuesday. COAI includes major telecom operators like Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea.

Now, which category of message is visible in SMS

COAI Director General SP Kochar said that all telecom service providers have implemented the suffix system for promotional (‘P’), service-related (‘S’), transactional (‘T’), and government (‘G’) messages. This step has been taken under the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR) amended on 12 February 2025.

Kochhar said, "This has strengthened transparency and consumer protection. Customers can now know at a glance which message is promotional, which is service-related, and which is transactional or government. This will reduce spam significantly and also prevent fraud." OTT apps became a cause of concern. Kochhar expressed concern over the increasing spam and fraudulent messages through OTT (Over-the-top) messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. He said, "Unless the entire communication ecosystem is regulated, no consent framework or spam control measure can be fully effective." With no clear control over OTT platforms, most of the fraud and unwanted promotions are now coming from these apps, which has become a matter of concern for the users.

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