Our phones hold our most valuable information, ranging from financial data to personal memories and digital identities. Losing a device is more than just a hardware loss – it's a security nightmare, and that's where Sanchar Saathi comes in. Whether you've lost your phone or suspect someone is using a SIM in your name, or want to report a scam call, it's a one-stop solution.
Recently, the Indian Government tried pushing phone brands to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on new devices. While that will no longer happen due to pushback from brands and users, if you're wondering what Sanchar Saathi is exactly and what features it offers, here's a comprehensive guide on the same.
What is Sanchar Saathi app?
Before the app's inception, India's telecom networks operated largely independently. This means if you lost a phone, blocking it required manual intervention that didn't always sync across operators. For example, a phone blocked on Airtel might still work on Jio.
Sanchar Saathi bridges this gap and acts as a unified interface connecting three critical things – all telecom operators, law enforcement agencies and the government's identity database. It doesn't just report a problem but triggers a synchronised response across this entire network about the loss of a phone.
Since its launch, the platform has claimed to have successfully terminated over 3 crore fraudulent mobile connections, blocked around 37 lakh stolen mobile phones, recovered nearly 7 lakh phones and disabled 16 lakh WhatsApp accounts linked to fraud.
How Sanchar Saathi works
Sanchar Saathi is a portal powered by a few features, each handling a specific type of threat. They are – CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register), TAFCOP (Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management), Chakshu and KYM.
CEIR blocks phones from functioning
CEIR comes in handy in case of phone theft and resale, where thieves typically swap the SIM card and resell the phone. The way CEIR works is that it maintains three lists for every phone that has a unique 15-digit IMEI number – White, Grey and Black.
The White List consists of Allowed phones, the Grey List consists of phones under observation, while the Black List consists of stolen or lost phones. When you report a phone on Sanchar Saathi, its IMEI is moved to the Black List. This list is pushed to all network operators.
When someone tries to insert a new SIM into that phone, the network identifies the blacklisted IMEI and denies service. This effectively makes the phone a useless brick, cutting off the incentive of thieves to steal the phone.
TAFCOP prevents duplicate SIM card registrations
As for Telecom Analytics for Fraud Management, ID theft has become a common phenomenon. Fraudsters use forged documents to buy hundreds of SIM cards in your name to run scams. TAFCOP utilises AI and facial recognition analysis on the backend. It scans the database of millions of subscriber photos to find similar faces across different names.
This way, it allows you to audit it by logging in. If you query the database for all active connections linked to your ID, you can flag a number as "Not mine". This triggers a re-verification command to the telecom operator, and the user of that number is forced to prove their identity. Failing to do so will result in the permanent disconnection of that number.
Chakshu and KYM combat threats and counterfeit phones
Chakshu is a crowdsourced threat-intelligence tool. When users report suspicious calls or texts, the system analyses the patterns. If a specific number or header shows a high volume of fraud reports, it's flagged for network-wide blocking.
Similarly, KYM combats counterfeit phones. It allows users to enter their IMEI to check if the phone is legit before buying a used phone. Besides, users can also see if the device is already blacklisted and marked as stolen.
Is Sanchar Saathi app mandatory?
Sanchar Saathi is no longer mandatory. The government initially issued a directive to phone brands to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices, but then withdrew it following a massive pushback from brands and the public. The goal was to make the app accessible by default.
The argument was that most users don't know the portal exists until after they lose a phone. By having the app installed, users can use the app to normalise digital hygiene, like checking for fake SIMS or verifying their phone's IMEI. However, Sanchar Saathi will not be pre-installed on phones.
Besides, those who need it can easily download the app from the Google Play Store and App Store to track their requests. The pushback was largely fair due to the potential privacy implications arising because the app requires a little too many software permissions to just exist on your phone.
Sanchar Saathi is a handy app to keep key phone security denominators in check. It not only helps you find a lost phone but also lets you take control of your digital identity. By integrating the backend of telecom networks with the power of law enforcement and regular citizens, it's enough to disincentivise fraudsters and thieves from stealing your data and phones.
-356w.webp "Realme Narzo 90X back")
