The Department of Telecommunications has announced that its Sanchar Saathi portal has exceeded 30 crore visits since launching in May 2023. The platform allows mobile users to report suspicious calls and messages, check for unauthorised connections in their name, block lost or stolen handsets, and verify the authenticity of phones before purchase. Citizens’ reports feed into government intelligence systems shared with banks and police to prevent fraud.
Key facts
- Portal launches: May 2023
- Total visits: Over 30 crore
- Handsets blocked: 60.96 lakh
- Handsets recovered: Over 14 lakh
- Handsets traced: 37.85 lakh
- Unauthorised mobile connections reported and resolved: Over 4 crore
- Fraud communication reports through Chakshu module: 12.80 lakh
- Mobile connections disconnected based on citizen inputs: Over 50 lakh
- Suspected cyber-fraud losses prevented: Over Rs 5,000 crore
- Mobile app downloads: 2.8 crore
- Languages supported: English, Hindi and 21 regional languages
What Sanchar Saathi offers
The portal consolidates six main citizen services. Chakshu allows users to report suspicious calls, text messages or WhatsApp messages, including fake KYC requests, impersonations of government or bank officials, and fraudulent investment or job offers. A second service lets users check how many mobile connections have been issued in their name and flag those they did not activate or no longer need.
Users can block lost or stolen handsets across all networks nationwide, enable tracing through police systems, and later unblock them if recovered. The portal also verifies whether a handset is genuine by checking its IMEI number before purchase. Citizens can report incoming calls from abroad disguised with Indian (+91) phone numbers, which helps government action against illegal telecom networks. A sixth service provides verified customer care numbers, email addresses and website links of banks and financial institutions.
How citizen reports prevent fraud
When a citizen reports a suspicious number or an unauthorised connection, the information does not stop at protecting that one person. The Department of Telecommunications converts such reports into actionable intelligence shared with banks, payment providers, telecom operators and law enforcement through its Digital Intelligence Platform. This platform feeds over 1,600 stakeholders including financial institutions and police.
Citizen reports power the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, a system that assigns risk scores to mobile numbers potentially connected to financial fraud. Banks and payment processors use this intelligence to block suspicious transactions before money leaves accounts. According to the government, this system has helped prevent suspected cyber-fraud losses exceeding Rs 5,000 crore. The portal describes citizens using Sanchar Saathi as Cyber Warriors who protect not only themselves but their communities and the nation.
Handset recovery and disconnections
The portal’s lost handset blocking service has achieved substantial results. Since launch, 60.96 lakh handsets have been blocked across all telecom networks. Police tracking systems have traced 37.85 lakh of these devices, and citizens have recovered more than 14 lakh handsets. The Department coordinates with telecom service providers and state police to achieve this through automated workflows and continuous technical improvements.
Regarding unauthorised connections, the portal has processed over 4 crore citizen requests to check for mobile numbers issued in their names. Based on citizen reports through Chakshu about suspected fraud communications, over 50 lakh mobile connections have been disconnected. This prevents fraudsters from using those numbers to target more victims.
Accessibility and languages
The Sanchar Saathi website and mobile application have been designed with simple user flows and public dashboards. The mobile app, which has been downloaded 2.8 crore times, supports English, Hindi and 21 regional languages, making the service accessible to citizens across India in their preferred languages.
What this means for you
Every mobile user can use Sanchar Saathi to check unauthorised connections in their name and report suspicious communications within minutes. For those who have lost handsets, the blocking service provides nationwide coverage across all networks. The portal helps verify phones before buying second-hand devices. Citizens who report fraud contribute to a larger system that protects others from becoming victims. Victims of cyber-crime can report incidents on the cyber-crime helpline 1930 or through www.cybercrime.gov.in.