How DoT's Financial Fraud Risk Indicator Blocked ₹5,043 Crore in Cyber Scams

Over the past 15 months, India has taken a powerful stand against cyber scams by blocking transactions worth over ₹5,043 crore before the money even leaves victims' accounts. This success comes from a new approach led by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which uses a clever mobile-number risk system to catch fraud in its tracks. The heart of this effort is the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), launched in May 2025. Initially, it stopped fraudulent transfers amounting to ₹139 crore in just a few months. But the impact grew rapidly; by mid-2026, over ₹2,000 crore in scams were stopped in just five months. The FRI operates through the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), a vast government network connecting more than 1,600 organizations—from banks to fintech companies, regulators, police, and even messaging apps like WhatsApp. Here's how the FRI works: it assigns risk levels—Medium, High, or Very High—to phone numbers by gathering data from citizen reports, telecom operators, banks, and law enforcement. When a payment app detects a risky number during a transaction, it issues a clear warning. This often stops victims, like pensioners targeted by fake callers, from sending money to scammers. Because the money never reaches fraudsters, the system sidesteps the slow, frustrating process of chasing lost funds after the fact. While this breakthrough has saved billions, some questions remain. The government hasn't clarified how many transactions these blocked amounts represent or whether some could be counted more than once across institutions. Also, recycled phone numbers sometimes carry risk scores from previous owners, potentially blocking innocent new users from payments without a clear way to appeal. Looking ahead, DoT plans to extend this protection to insurance, stock trading, and pension accounts, building a stronger safety net. Meanwhile, users should stay vigilant: if a banking or UPI app flags a number as risky, stop and verify before sending money. Reporting suspicious calls or messages through official portals like Sanchar Saathi's Chakshu and using helplines promptly can make all the difference. After all, in the fight against cyber fraud, catching it early is key to keeping your money safe.