AI-powered fraud shield helps save citizens over ₹5000 crore in 15 months
DoT’s Financial Fraud Risk Indicator has helped prevent suspected cyber fraud losses of ₹5,043.73 crore since its launch, using telecom intelligence to stop fraudulent transactions before money leaves citizens’ accounts.
FRI is a risk-assessment framework developed by DoT under its Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP).
NEW DELHI The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has helped prevent suspected cyber fraud losses of more than ₹5,000 crore through its Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), marking a major shift towards preventing digital financial fraud before money leaves citizens’ accounts, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement on Tuesday.
The milestone was achieved within 15 months of the FRI’s launch on May 22, 2025. According to the DoT, cumulative suspected fraud losses prevented through the system reached ₹5,043.73 crore by August 2026, compared with ₹660 crore during its first six months.
Real-time warning system
FRI is a risk-assessment framework developed by DoT under its Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP). It enables financial institutions to assess in real time whether a mobile number is potentially associated with cybercrime or financial fraud.
Mobile numbers are classified as Medium, High or Very High risk based on intelligence drawn from multiple sources, including citizen reports through Sanchar Saathi, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, telecom operators, banks and financial institutions.
Banks and UPI service providers can use these risk signals to flag or stop transactions involving high- and very-high-risk mobile numbers, allowing fraud prevention to take place before a financial loss occurs.
Protection expands beyond banking
The DoT said the framework is being progressively extended to securities market intermediaries, insurance companies and pension-sector stakeholders to strengthen fraud checks across the financial ecosystem.
More than 1,600 organisations are now connected to the Digital Intelligence Platform. DoT has also conducted over 25 training sessions covering around 1,500 banks, financial institutions and regulators on FRI methodology, platform integration and the use of risk signals.
The department emphasised that prevention can eliminate the lengthy process that follows a successful fraud, including complaints, investigations, account freezes and attempts to recover funds.
Citizens urged to report suspicious communications
The DoT said citizen participation remains an important part of the system. Reports of suspicious calls and messages through Sanchar Saathi and Chakshu contribute to the intelligence used by FRI.
Citizens facing financial cyber fraud have been advised to immediately call 1930 or report the incident through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.
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