Use Tafcop to check illegal mobile connections: Cops

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Whether to purchase a Wi- Fi connection or a mobile phone SIM card, an Aadhaar card is used for verification in almost everything.

The concern here is that it may sometimes put the identity of a customer at risk when such documents are misused.

The Karnataka Cyber Crime Division has suggested a portal for the citizens where one can check if any unauthorised SIM on his or her name is being used without their knowledge.

In 2019, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had mandated linking all SIM cards to the Aadhaar number. There is no doubt that the move has helped the government and the citizens in implementing and availing various policies.

However, several forms of cyber frauds were also being reported to the Karnataka Cyber Crime police lately in which gullible people have either lost their money or their personal data has been compromised.

The police said that in most such cases, fraudsters have gained access to the victims' documents and thumb impressions somehow and would activate new SIM cards without their knowledge.

Recently some people have reported to the police about receiving unauthorised notifications and multiple One Time Passwords (OTPs) from mobile phone applications to which they have not even subscribed.

Some have also complained about app-based loans issued in their names. During a Q&A session last week which was held by the Karnataka Cyber Crime CID officials on X, previously twitter, News Trail had asked the officials about the solution for such issues.

"Citizens can simply use the Do Not Disturb (DND) facility if they are getting unwanted notifications," the officials said.

"If they suspect a cyber-attack, the citizens can also use the Tafcop portal to check if someone is using a mobile number on his or her name without their knowledge," the officials added.

Launched by the Department of Telecommunications, the Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (Tafcop) portal enables a mobile subscriber to check the number of mobile connections taken in his or her name.

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) had increased the number of mobile connections per person to 18 in 2018. It includes 9 SIMs for general mobile usage and the rest 9 for M2M (Machine to Machine) communications.

As per the information on Sanchar Saathi portal, it also facilitates to report the mobile connection which is either not required or not taken by the subscriber.

The DoT officials have initiated a countrywide campaign to caution people against falling prey to the misuse of Aadhaar biometrics by SIM card sellers. 

Here's how you outsmart tele-frauds

1. Visit https:/tafcop.dgtelecom.gov.in/

2. Either click on the Registered User Login option and log in using your number and password OR click on request OTP. You’ll receive the OTP on your mobile number through SMS. Enter the OTP in the given section and click on validate.

3. Scroll to the Request Status section and enter the Ticket ID Reference number

4. Now simply submit and you’ll be displayed with the status on your screen