Ramesh Kumar Goyal, CEO, Telecom, and Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Member (Services), Digital Communications Commission, at the annual South Zone Telecom Security Conference in Kochi on Thursday. | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has traced and returned 8.5 million stolen mobile phones to their owners based on complaints filed through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), a centralized system implemented to manage and track mobile devices on the Sanchar Saathi portal, said Ramesh Kumar Goyal, CEO of Telecom.
He was addressing the media on the sidelines of the DoT’s Annual South Zone Telecom Security Conference on Thursday (February 12, 2026). Mr. Goyal noted that the recovery of stolen mobile phones has more than doubled, rising from two million in 2024 to 4.5 million in 2025. Customers can file complaints about stolen mobiles or request to block the connection on the Sanchar Saathi portal to prevent misuse. Since its launch in 2023, the portal has received 24 million visits, while its app, introduced in 2025, has been downloaded by 1.9 million users.
The Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) introduced by DoT has helped prevent cyber frauds worth around ₹ 1,400 crore in the last nine months. Introduced in May 2025, the FRI indicates the threat perception of an incoming call, whether it is high, medium or low risk.
Mr. Goyal added that DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), introduced in 2023, has data of 122 million telecom customers analyzed using artificial intelligence and facial recognition software. About five million connections have been closed over the past two and a half years.
Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Member (Services), Digital Communications Commission (DCC), under DoT, said around $11 trillion worth of cyber fraud was reported globally every year, making it the third largest economy in the world. In India, cyber fraud accounts for ₹ 24,000 crore annually, growing at an alarming rate of 265% annually, according to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Mr Chakrabarti emphasized that customers should not hesitate to report cyber fraud just because they receive a monetary loss alert, assuming there is no point in reporting as the money has already been lost. According to him, two to four hours remain before the bank actually transfers the amount.
Published – 12 Feb 2026 20:16 IST