The DoT has simplified the process for users to distinguish authentic calls from financial services, insurance companies, and other financial institutions.
The Department of Telecommunications has introduced a fresh number series for service and transactional calls from government, regulatory, and financial institutions.
The Department of Telecommunications has assigned a distinct 10-digit number series beginning with 160 for this purpose.
An order regarding this has been issued by the Department of Telecommunications.
It will be easy to identify fraud calls
The Department of Telecommunications has explained that the newly introduced 10-digit number series is structured to enable telecom customers to identify the calling agency, telecom operator, and call location.
This measure is aimed at preventing financial fraud.
The DoT mentioned in its order that, based on the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR, 2018),
a distinct number series starting with 160 has been allocated solely for service and transactional phone calls.
The Department of Telecommunications’ action will aid in curbing calls from government entities and regulated bodies,
as well as scams impersonating government officials.
With this new series, users can more easily recognize if an incoming call is from a legitimate financial institution or a potential fraudster.
This distinction makes it simpler for users to identify and respond appropriately to these calls.
New numbers of 160 series will be allotted
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) states that the new number series will follow the format 1600ABCXXX for government and financial regulatory entities, with AB representing the telecom circle code.
For instance, Delhi will have 11, Mumbai 22, Kolkata 33, and Chennai 44.
The telecom service provider’s code will replace C, and numbers from 000 to 999 will replace XXX.
Additionally, a new 10-digit number, 1601ABCXXX, will be assigned to financial institutions regulated by government bodies such as RBI, SEBI, EPFO, PFRDA, IRDA, etc.
DoT will conduct thorough verification of each entity before allocating this number to any financial institution.
Moreover, institutions seeking this number must provide an affidavit from the relevant unit, confirming that they will use the allotted number in this series exclusively for service and transaction calls.
