Wedding Invitation Scam
Digital scams are getting way too common and platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram are being used a lot to con people. Taking that into consideration the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has intensified efforts to combat scams originating on WhatsApp. A recommendation in the same regard was sent by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). After that, the government sent a notice to WhatsApp, and MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan confirmed that discussions with Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, are ongoing to tackle this persistent issue.
Speaking to the Economic Times, Krishnan said, “This is a continuous process. Scamsters will keep finding newer ways, causing concern.” He further spoke about how there is a need for users to also remain vigilant and report issues through established grievance redressal mechanisms. They can do this either within the app or through external channels such as government portals.
Under India’s IT rules, platforms such as WhatsApp are required to appoint grievance officers to address complaints. The cases which remain unresolved escalate to a grievance appellate committee.
Further, Trai recently asked MeitY to investigate and curb phishing calls and messages delivered through WhatsApp. Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said that while Trai handles traditional voice and SMS-related scams, action on OTT platforms like WhatsApp falls under MeitY’s jurisdiction.
Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram operate outside Trai’s domain, hence the concerns about the lack of oversight. WhatsApp, with its massive Indian user base, has cooperated with the Department of Telecom (DoT) by blocking flagged numbers. However, officials note that platforms like Telegram and Signal have yet to demonstrate similar commitment.
Let’s see if the government asks apps like WhatsApp to take stricter measures and how eventually both parties can limit scams as they are a growing concern.