TRAI New Rule December 2024: Say Goodbye to Scam Calls, Spam Messages, and Fake OTPs!

New TRAI rule would target scam and fraudulent activities using telecom services. The regulator has ordered the telecom operators to respond on spam calls, messages, and improper use of OTPs. These would be operational from December 1 after having been given an one month extension earlier since the enforcement date earlier announced for November 1.

TRAI's New Rules Will Now Have Effect From December 1

Starting December 1, all banks, e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions will have to maintain traceability records of transactional as well as service messages. As part of the rules, OTPs are also considered to be commercial messages. Unless sent in accordance with guidelines, all such messages-even OTPs-will get blocked.

TRAI has directed telecom operators to identify specific words so that these numbers can be pre-blocked to avoid not only spam messages and calls but also OTP-based scams.

Also Read: How to Make Calls and Send Secret Messages Without Revealing Your Number!

Tough Times for Scammers and Fraudsters: TRAI has released new regulations. Other than this, it targets the scammers who are sending misleading messages; attaching phishing links to get unauthenticated OTPs for entry into a user's bank accounts. The date to make this regulation was proposed by TRAI as October 1, but due to its consideration for giving enough time to telecom operators in this regard, now TRAI has shifted it to the date of December. Now after these regulations have entered into force, users and customers will not risk taking the calls from those phone numbers which are sending misusing messages or from whose number there is no signal but these numbers are found under the blacklisted.