RBI Issues Circular On Levying Unfair Interest Charges On Customers

The government has recently established a platform named Chakshu to protect people from such cyber crimes and frauds. If a cyber thug is trying to deceive you through calls or social media, or is  blackmailing you, immediately report it on the Chakshu platform. This way, not only will you be protecting yourself from frauds, but will also be potentially saving others.

The Department of Telecommunications, or DoT, introduced the Sanchar Sarathi Portal in May 2023 to enhance the security of mobile users. All complaints related to telecom services can be filed on this portal.

So far, about 13.87 lakh people have registered complaints about their stolen or lost mobile phones. With the help of police and other investigation agencies, 7.37 lakh mobiles have also been recovered. Not only that, more than 1,008 crore rupees, which were lost to fraudulent cases, have also been refunded. Additionally, 59 lakh phone connections have also been blocked due to their connection with incidents of fraud. According to DoT, over 2500 suspicious phone connections are being blocked on a daily basis.

Chakshu has been launched to effectively combat cyber crimes. Currently, it is available as a feature on the Sarathi portal. Going ahead,  Chakshu will also be launched as an app.
Now, the question is, how can you file a complaint? The process of filing a complaint about fraud and blackmailing on Chakshu is very simple.

1. You need to visit the Sanchaar Sarathi Portal. You will find the option of Citizen Services on the homepage.

2. Go there and click on Report Suspected Fraud Communication to CHAKSHU. Then, press Continue. A window will open, where you need to fill in the details of the medium through which you were contacted, whether it’s Call/SMS/WhatsApp.

3. Select the Suspected Fraud Category. You will have many options like fraud in bank accounts, KYC, or fraudulent activities related to credit and debit cards, fraud in gas-electricity connections or impersonating government officials, threats in the name of obscene photos/videos. You’ll also have the option to report objectionable or suspicious calls or messages.

4. After selecting the fraud category, attach screenshots as proof.

5. In the next step, enter the date and time of the call or message, and then describe your complaint in 500 words. After that, enter your name and mobile number.

6. To verify the report, an OTP will be sent to your mobile number. Once you enter the OTP, the complaint will be registered.

As soon as a person files a complaint on Chakshu, concerned agencies will spring to action. The number from which the call or message was received will be verified. If verification fails, that number will be blocked.

This way, Chakshu will work as an information exchange and coordination agency amongst telecom companies, RBI, law enforcement agencies, banks, financial institutions, social media platforms, and officials issuing identity documents.

Personal finance expert Jitendra Solanki says that recently, incidents of cyber fraud have been increasing rapidly. One major reason for this is that until now, there was no proper platform for complaining about these cases. A large number of fraud victims were unable to file complaints.

But now, any person can easily file a complaint related to fraudulent calls and messages on the Chakshu platform. This will definitely reduce incidents of cyber frauds.