Spam calls are a growing problem all over India. As telemarketing and unsolicited calls have been on the rise, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has been at war to reduce this menace. In its continued effort to protect consumers even further,
TRAI introduced the “160 Number Series,” an innovative approach to mitigate unwanted calls and people falling to social engineering scams; in simple terms, it’s a fight against spam. All financial entities regulated by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and PFRDA shall use 160 as the prefix and those numbers will be used for either transitional or service Calls.
Spam Calls in India:
Unsolicited calls from telemarketers, automated calls used for transaction confirmations, or even scammers cheating the users. Debt collection agencies, loan agencies, telemarketers, and scammers have been increasingly targeting people, often interfering with their day-to-day lives, invading their private lives, and creating huge financial losses.
Scammers frequently exploit these calls in pretence to be actual organisations, stealing sensitive information and engaging in financial fraud’s
Two main objectives of TRAI::
- Consumer Empowerment: The decision of connecting or not will lie in the hands of users, knowing the fact that a call is from a 160 series number. It prohibits the use of such nuisance call
- Accountability and Traceability: Assigning a series to telemarketers heightens the responsibility of the telemarketers. In case of complaints, this process can trace and manage the action of telemarketers easily.
How the 160 Number Series Works:
- The calls marked with the prefix 160 series originate from telemarketing services. For instance, if you receive a call from a number beginning with “160,” then you will recognize it as a promotional or telemarketing call.
- TRAI also encourages telecom service providers to enhance the call filtering and identification technology so that users can easily identify such 160-series calls on their mobile phones. The 160 Number Series can be even more effective if it becomes more integrated with the mainstream caller ID services and apps.
More Steps by TRAI – Against Spam Call:
- Do Not Disturb (DND) Registry: The DND registry allows users to opt out of marketing calls by registering their number in the National Customer Preference Register.
- TRAI with Operators: TRAI also works with telecom operators for the introduction of spam detection technology. This automatically identifies those calls that are seen as potential spam calls. It auto flags or blocks such calls. It works on machine learning algorithms identifying any unusual calling patterns from spam callers
- Financial Penalties for Non-compliance: The guidelines of TRAI get implemented through heavy financial fines imposed on companies who do not comply with the guidelines of unsolicited calls time and again. Those firms found misusing the 160 series or violating the DND list face financial fines as well as loss of licenses.
Benefits and Impact of 160 Number Series:
- Higher Customer Confidence: Customers are more likely to answer calls that are clearly marked as from a telemarketer. It enable’s the banking marketer to differentiate themselves from spammers
- Reduction in Fraud Calls: Legitimate telemarketers will have to register and there is a scrutiny process through TRAI, so therefore the chances of fraudulent activity are less
- Better Privacy: Users are at an advantage as they know to whom they are talking to.
Challenges and Way Forward:
Though 160 Number Series is a positive advancement; there are some areas of challenges that include:
- Awareness: Awareness created by TRAI through sensitisation campaigns will help change public perceptions.
- Registered and Persistent Spammers: These spammers may continue to use ordinary or masked or spoofed numbers, which circumvent the 160 series filter. In this regard, TRAI must continue to innovate and upgrade strategies against these means
- Technical Integration: The system functionality must be preserved and ensured compatibility across various telecom operators and applications using caller ID.
With no possible solution for banning all unsolicited calls, this move represents critical progress toward transparency, accountability, and customer control. Collaborating with the public and technological backup, the 160 Number Series can develop into an effective tool in the task undertaken by TRAI in realising a spam-free network in communication.
