With more people getting hooked to the internet, incidents of frauds are on the rise and the fraudsters are now calling many times almost at random with the ghastly motive of conning people for money. In a bid to tackle this issue, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has come up with a new portal known as Chakshu. This platform’s objectives include enabling users to report the fake phone numbers and the overall reduction of the scams calls.
What is ‘Chakshu’?
Chakshu allows the users to register for scams in the form of calls, messages, or even through whatsApp. These can be categorized by the users as KYC scams, impersonation, fake customer care helpline number, online job scams, sextortion and links or websites of wrong intentions. Users can even provide images or screenshots as proof; however, providing proof is not necessary for users.
To use Chakshu, a person must feed his name and phone number and then give his phone number a tap for OTP. Once a number is reported, the investigation begins, and it is left to TRAI to find the truth about it. The license is withdrawn in case the number is involved in any form of conning and legal proceedings are made.
A much needed protection
At the occasion of launch, Union Telecom and IT Minister Mr. Ashwini Vaishnav has said that this will enable an Indian citizen to report an unsolicited and possibly a fraudulent communication that one has received on call, via SMS or on social media inclusive of WhatsApp. Once such information is received, the platform will trigger re-verification, and failing re-verification, the number will be disconnected.”
However, it is important to note that Chakshu is not yet available to users. The portal is set to provide a straightforward way for individuals to protect themselves from scam calls and contribute to a broader effort to reduce online fraud.
By leveraging Chakshu, users can take an active role in safeguarding their financial information and supporting TRAI’s mission to enhance cybersecurity. As online scams become more frequent, initiatives like Chakshu are crucial in the fight against fraud, providing a much-needed layer of protection for internet users in India.
