WhatsApp has formed a partnership with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to address the misuse of telecom resources, aimed at combating digital fraud and scams. The collaboration will involve the messaging platform working closely with the DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit, leveraging pertinent data to thwart the exploitation of these resources for financial crimes and cyber offenses in India. Users will benefit from access to materials that offer guidance on how to recognize and report spam and online scams, with resources available in eight regional languages.
WhatsApp to Create Educational Resources to Identify Spam and Online Scams
This initiative is part of WhatsApp’s ongoing ‘Scam se Bacho’ campaign, which was initiated last year in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The collaboration aims to address the rising number of scams and fraudulent activities that take advantage of telecom resources in the country.
To enhance awareness surrounding online fraud, Meta plans to organize train-the-trainer workshops designed for officials from the telecom department, Sanchar Mitras (student volunteers), telecom service providers, and operational units. The Digital Intelligence Unit of the DoT will contribute crucial insights to assist in proactively tackling digital scams and cybercrime.
Furthermore, Meta intends to produce educational content outlining prevalent online scams, including how they can be identified and reported. This content will be accessible in various languages, including Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.
During a discussion on Monday, Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta, touched upon the ongoing partnership with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Previously, Meta had collaborated with MeitY, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) as part of its Scam se Bacho campaign.
“Educating the public on recognizing scams and understanding how to protect themselves is crucial to reducing the number of victims. […] Through our collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications, we aim to blend our technological resources with the government’s dedication to public safety, ultimately equipping Indians with the knowledge necessary to safeguard themselves,” Kaplan stated in an official release.
