Sanchar Saathi: the government's phone safety services

Sanchar Saathi is a free portal and app of the Department of Telecommunications with several services that every mobile user should know.

Source. The Sanchar Saathi portal, sancharsaathi.gov.in, of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India, read on 12 November 2026. The portal describes itself as a citizen-centric initiative available as a mobile app and a web portal. This page is an independent summary; use the official portal itself, typed by hand, for every service.

1. Chakshu: report a suspected fraud call or message

Chakshu takes reports of suspected fraud communications received by call, SMS or WhatsApp: people posing as the telecom department, TRAI, police or government officials; bank, wallet, SIM, gas, electricity and KYC "update" messages; fake investment and trading offers; sextortion attempts. It also takes reports of suspicious web links received by SMS, email or social media.

• The portal's Chakshu page asks that reports be made within 30 days of receiving the communication for action to be taken.
• You select the medium and category, give the details, may attach a screenshot, and verify your mobile number by OTP.
• Chakshu is not for cases where money has already been lost. The portal says such cases should be reported to the cyber crime helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. See after a fraud.

Reports help the department act against the numbers used, which the portal says may include re-verification of the subscriber and disconnection.

2. Block your lost or stolen mobile handset

This service blocks a lost or stolen phone on the networks of all telecom operators so that it cannot be used in India, and helps trace it if someone tries to use it. A phone that is found can be unblocked. The portal lists these prerequisites:

• a copy of the police report or FIR for the lost phone;
• a re-issued (duplicate) SIM for the lost number, with SMS working, because the OTP is sent to it;
• a valid identity proof to upload;
• the phone's IMEI number(s), and the purchase invoice if available.

Our page on a lost or stolen phone puts this in order with the other things to do.

3. Know the mobile connections in your name

You can log in with your mobile number and see how many mobile connections are issued in your name, and report any that you did not take or no longer need. Check this once or twice a year: a SIM taken on your identity by someone else can be used for fraud that leads back to you.

4. Know the genuineness of your mobile handset

Before buying a used phone, check its IMEI on the portal or app. The portal says you can find a phone's IMEI by dialling *#06#, that dual-SIM phones have two IMEI numbers, and that the check can also be made by sending an SMS in the form KYM followed by the 15-digit IMEI to 14422. The result shows the manufacturer, device type, brand and model, which should match the phone in your hand.

5. Report an international call shown with an Indian number

If a call from abroad reaches you showing an ordinary Indian mobile number, it has been routed through an illegal telecom set-up. The portal takes reports of such calls.

6. Trusted Contact Details

This helps you verify official contact information, such as customer care numbers, toll-free numbers, email IDs and website links, of banks and financial institutions, and check whether a number you are calling or being called from belongs to an authentic source. It is the answer to fake customer care numbers.

7. Know your wireline internet provider

A look-up of wireline internet service providers by PIN code, address or name.

Using the portal safely

• Type sancharsaathi.gov.in yourself, or install the app from the official app store, checking that the publisher is the Department of Telecommunications.
• The services are free. Anyone asking for a fee to "file a Chakshu complaint" or "unblock your phone" is a fraudster.
• The portal lists a helpdesk email and telephone number with weekday office hours; take them from the portal itself.

Independent guide. This is not a government, bank or police website. Helplines and rules were checked at official sources on 12 November 2026; confirm on the official site before relying on them.