Over 51K SIM Cards Taken Using Forged Documents Disconnected In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: As many as 51,260 fake mobile connections from various telecom operators were cut off in Odisha on Tuesday.
The action was taken after further verification of the suspected cellphone connections utilised for various illicit activities.

52,088 suspected mobile connections were found using the AI-based facial recognition tool called ASTR, which was conceptualised and implemented by the Department of Telecommunication for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification. Of these connections, 51,260 were disconnected in Odisha.

The involved telecom carriers re-verified the suspected mobile connections in accordance with DoT Odisha’s directions. 51,260 connections were identified to be fake and disconnected during the re-verification.

2,417 point-of-sale SIM vendors who participated in such fraudulent operations have been blacklisted, according to a release from DoT Odisha today.

Additionally, police reports have been filed in order to conduct an investigation and prosecute the offenders.

According to the statement, the actions taken above will aid in preventing the use of such fraudulent or forged cellphone connections for various criminal activities, including cybercrime, in Odisha.