Sanchar Saathi – How much do you know about it?

A friend of mine called me and told me that someone has taken a sim card in his name without his knowledge in some small Bihar city and wanted to know what will the issues he may have to plan for and what he can do to know how many sim cards are issued against his identity and how he can close them. Then I told him about the new sanchar saathi portal and how that can help him with his questions.
In this article, I am going to talk about the new facility or website provided by central government called “sanchar saathi” and explain how it can help you track how many sim cards are issued in your name, where it is issued, how you can block and track your lost or stolen mobile phone, report and block sim cards illegally taken in your name and also their future initiatives like crackdown on fraudulent SMS.
Sanchar saathi website was launched on 16th May 2023 by the Department of Telecommunications, Central government of India to empower mobile subscribers and strengthen the security. This platform enables citizens to effectively manage and monitor the mobile connections registered under their name, while also providing valuable features such as disconnecting unnecessary connections, tracking lost phones, and verifying the authenticity of devices during new or used purchases. It has two major parts – Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), which serves as a valuable tool for locating lost or stolen mobile devices and Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP), monitor the number of mobile connections registered under their name and take action on them.

In Sanchar Saathi, How to find out how many sim cards are issued in my name and block?

1. open sanchar saathi (https://www.sancharsaathi.gov.in/) website
2. Click on Know your mobile connections tab listed under “Citizen Centric Services”.
3. Enter your mobile number, captch and the OTP you get on that mobile number.
4. You will get a list of mobile numbers listed on your name there.
5. Select the illegal or not in use mobile number and select “Not my number” or “Not Required” or “Required” option and hit the Report button.
6. Based on what you select, that phone number will be blocked or will be kept in service.

In Sanchar Saathi, How to track or block lost phone ?

1. open sanchar saathi (https://www.sancharsaathi.gov.in/) website.
2. Click on “Block your lost/stolen mobile” option.
3. In the new page opened, click on “Block stolen/lost mobile” option to block, “Unblock Found Mobile” to unblock the reported lost mobile and “Check Request Status” for tracking the status of the comlaint.
4. In the next page, enter the lost/stolen mobile’s IMEI number and other details, which the police will use to track and report the status.
5. The provided details will require verification through a mobile number OTP. You will get a OTP, which you need to enter and hit the submit button. Also you need to submit a valid ID proof.
6. Once submitted, whenever the lost/stolen mobile is turned on and connected to the network, police will get a alert on the location of the tower in which the mobile is turned on and police will then use that information to track the mobile.

Other services provided by Sanchar saathi portal :-

1. You can report the fraudulent number which is spamming you under the chakshu option. Chakshu facilitates citizens to report the suspected or unsolicited communications received through call, SMS or WhatsApp which are intended for cyber-crime, financial frauds, impersonation, fake customer services / lottery offer / loan offer / job offer / installation of mobile tower / disconnection of services or KYC update / loan etc. or any other misuse. Department of Telecommunications may initiate suitable action including reverification of the subscribers reporting non-genuine suspected fraud communication, blocking of such subscriber for reporting etc.
2. Know if the phone you have purchased is a genuine phone or not by entering the IMEI number on the phone under “Know your Mobile” option. This facility is aimed at preventing any unauthorized mobile phones entry into the system, as the criminals use such phones for committing cybercrimes.
3. Report incoming international call with Indian number fraud. This specific initiative addresses a common fraud tactic where international calls are masked to appear as if they are coming from an Indian number. Such practices are often used in various scams, including financial frauds, impersonation, and phishing attempts, misleading the recipients into believing that the calls are local and possibly from legitimate sources.
4. You can know your Internet service provider servicing your area with their contact details under the “Know your Wireline Internet Service Provider” option.
5. It also has lot of educational information about your telecom services and mobile phone like how to get your IMEI number, how to find the internet speed, how to activate donotdisturb option, mobile and mobile tower’s raditions levels and cyber crime/security related information.