Spam calls and messages have become increasingly common, pretending to be from banks, telecom companies, or government agencies. Interacting with these messages or calls may lead to fraud or identity theft. There are several signs to look out for to spot and avoid spam messages and calls.
To help users identify spam messages and calls, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has introduced easy to understand formats to help identify legitimate commercial messages and calls.
Identifying the sender – SMSes
Step 1: Look at the sender ID
Observe the format of the sender ID or header. In India, legitimate commercial messages are required to follow a specific format. For example, a legitimate promotional message from HDFC Bank will appear as “AD-HDFCBK-P”. The final letter “P” tells you it is a promotional message. Other common endings are “T” for transactional, “S” for service, and “G” for government.
Header format of legitimate promotional and service messages
Spam SMS promising free money does not have a recognised header format
Spammers often try to mimic this format but make mistakes. If you notice something like “ADHDFCBK” or “HDFCBKP” with missing hyphens or unfamiliar endings, you should be cautious about the contents of the message.
You can also verify the sender ID by texting DETAILS OF <senderID> to 1909, or by using TRAI’s online SMS-header database (smsheader.trai.gov.in). For using the online service, you will need to provide your email and log in with an OTP.
Verifying SMS headers using TRAI’s SMS header database
Step 2: Read the contents of the SMS carefully
The content of the message can also reveal if it is a scam. Scam messages typically use poor grammar, have inconsistent formatting, and make unbelievable claims. They may claim that one’s bank account is blocked or that they have won a lottery. Many of these messages include links and ask for personal or financial details. Always avoid clicking such links or sharing sensitive information.
Similarly, TRAI has launched a special series of numbers reserved for legitimate commercial calls from businesses.
Identifying calls
Promotional calls from companies usually come from numbers starting with 140, while service and transactional calls come from 160 series numbers. These are reserved by telecom operators for registered businesses. For instance, the phone number on a call from HDFC bank regarding a transaction in your account will start with +91 160 XXX XXXX. However, always remember that legitimate calls from banks will never ask for personal information such as pins, OTPs or your ID card details.
Promotional calls usually come from numbers starting with 140
If one receives commercial calls from regular 10-digit mobile numbers, especially if they are asking for money or personal details, there is a good chance it is a scam.
TRAI has also launched the DND 3.0 app which allows users to report spam messages and calls. To learn how to use the DND app, you can read our recent blog here. The government has also launched the Sanchar Saathi portal, where users can report suspicious communications under the “Chakshu” initiative.
Remember – the best way to avoid being scammed is to always be careful when interacting with texts and calls from unknown numbers.
