5 ms·

https://sancharsaathi.gov.in https://sancharsaathi.gov.in - Report fraud/scam calls and SMS directly from your phone. - Block or track lost/stolen phones by d

https://sancharsaathi.gov.in https://sancharsaathi.gov.in - Report fraud/scam calls and SMS directly from your phone. - Block or track lost/stolen phones by disabling their IMEI so they can’t be misused. - View all mobile numbers registered under your ID and report any unauthorized SIM cards. - Verify if a phone is genuine with an IMEI/device authenticity check. - Report telecom misuse, such as spoofed calls or suspicious international numbers. The stated goal is protect users from digital fraud and safer telecom usage, who knows how good it’ll be. Probably a PITA.

radicaldreamer 11mo ago
So a pretty transparent way to tie IMEI to someone's identity and track their location under the guise of "finding lost phones" and "checking your phone's authenticity"
- mlmonkey 11mo ago
  IMEI is already tied to your identity. You need ID to buy a phone or a SIM.
  - radicaldreamer 11mo ago
    I think this is to crack down on sharing a SIM card which is registered to someone else. It ties identity + location + aggregates all SIMs registered to someone with their current location. Not to mention they can probably payload anything into the app whenever they want.
- jeroenhd 11mo ago
  That's already the case for most places around the world, unfortunately. Though, this does make the link rather obvious, which is a bit more surprising. Normally shady tracking just happens through a combination of data brokers and leaked databases.
SanjayMehta 11mo ago
I've been using it since it came out. It does its job. I was getting 5-6 scam calls per day, now down to maybe 1 in a month. It's just a wrapper around their website (for now). I think this app is harmless but I don't think it should be forced onto anyone.
- throwaway2037 11mo ago
  This is great first hand feedback. I like these kinds of HN posts. How do you think it works? Example: If enough people report, then some police agency investigates? Rinse and repeat enough times and the scam calls/SMS should fall?
  - SanjayMehta 11mo ago
    It partially automates the process of lodging a complaint against a call, SMS, or WhatsApp communication. On IOS, you still have to copy/paste the incoming number into a form, provide a screenshot of the message, date/time and it uploads the complaint to their systems. They inform you that they will not send updates. What I've observed is a huge drop in scammers, and new scammers get tagged as potential spam by the operator upfront. So they're doing something on the back end. You can only file a police complaint if you actually suffered monetary loss. I haven't, so I don't know how that works. The other benefit is that you can keep an eye on id theft used to get connections using your info. This is a huge problem in rural India. Scammers use this to create bank accounts to move money.
    - throwaway2037 11mo ago
      Another great post. Thank you. It is great to hear that haven't suffered any monetary loss and you are getting fewer scam calls. I have a "dumb" follow-up question: (Honestly, I don't understand the pushback here on HN against this app.) Do you feel it is invasive or acts as gov't surveillance on your mobile phone? What you describe sounds pretty good to me.
      - SanjayMehta 11mo ago

radicaldreamer 11mo ago

So a pretty transparent way to tie IMEI to someone's identity and track their location under the guise of "finding lost phones" and "checking your phone's authenticity"

mlmonkey 11mo ago
IMEI is already tied to your identity. You need ID to buy a phone or a SIM.
- radicaldreamer 11mo ago
  I think this is to crack down on sharing a SIM card which is registered to someone else. It ties identity + location + aggregates all SIMs registered to someone with their current location. Not to mention they can probably payload anything into the app whenever they want.
jeroenhd 11mo ago
That's already the case for most places around the world, unfortunately. Though, this does make the link rather obvious, which is a bit more surprising. Normally shady tracking just happens through a combination of data brokers and leaked databases.

SanjayMehta 11mo ago

I've been using it since it came out. It does its job. I was getting 5-6 scam calls per day, now down to maybe 1 in a month. It's just a wrapper around their website (for now). I think this app is harmless but I don't think it should be forced onto anyone.

throwaway2037 11mo ago
This is great first hand feedback. I like these kinds of HN posts. How do you think it works? Example: If enough people report, then some police agency investigates? Rinse and repeat enough times and the scam calls/SMS should fall?
- SanjayMehta 11mo ago
  It partially automates the process of lodging a complaint against a call, SMS, or WhatsApp communication. On IOS, you still have to copy/paste the incoming number into a form, provide a screenshot of the message, date/time and it uploads the complaint to their systems. They inform you that they will not send updates. What I've observed is a huge drop in scammers, and new scammers get tagged as potential spam by the operator upfront. So they're doing something on the back end. You can only file a police complaint if you actually suffered monetary loss. I haven't, so I don't know how that works. The other benefit is that you can keep an eye on id theft used to get connections using your info. This is a huge problem in rural India. Scammers use this to create bank accounts to move money.
  - throwaway2037 11mo ago
    Another great post. Thank you. It is great to hear that haven't suffered any monetary loss and you are getting fewer scam calls. I have a "dumb" follow-up question: (Honestly, I don't understand the pushback here on HN against this app.) Do you feel it is invasive or acts as gov't surveillance on your mobile phone? What you describe sounds pretty good to me.
    - SanjayMehta 11mo ago