India leads with SIM binding to combat digital fraud

As global cybersecurity agencies escalate warnings about advanced spyware and growing platform-based fraud, India has taken a landmark step toward securing its digital ecosystem. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced persistent SIM binding, a first-of-its-kind security mandate designed to create a verified identity layer for digital communications. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has lauded this decisive move, calling it both timely and globally path-breaking.

“India has taken a rational and futuristic step forward in this context, and the Indian telecom industry is ready to offer whatever assistance necessary to the Government to prevent such scams and frauds from taking place,” said Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI. He emphasized that while international organizations have routinely highlighted the rising threat of digital misuse, India is the first country to officially implement a practical, systemic countermeasure of this scale.

Global spyware threats underscore India’s need for stronger defenses

Recent international alerts have highlighted the urgency of such protections. In its 24 November 2025 advisory, Spyware Allows Cyber Threat Actors to Target Users of Messaging Applications, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned of “Guardian” spyware targeting users through malicious links. The spyware compromises both Android and iOS devices, enabling data theft, surveillance, and targeted attacks, including against human rights defenders and journalists.

As CISA urges global users to strengthen their mobile security, India’s mandate for persistent SIM binding serves as a powerful safeguard. By ensuring each messaging session is tied to a verified SIM identity, the directive significantly raises the barrier against account takeover and surveillance attempts.

Platform fraud revealed by reuters reinforces the urgency

Equally pressing are concerns about large-scale platform fraud. Reuters recently reported that a major social media company failed for at least three years to detect and block a flood of fraudulent advertisements. These ads exposed billions of messaging-app users to fake e-commerce schemes, illegal gambling services, investment scams, and the sale of banned medical products.

India’s SIM binding directive directly counters such a risk environment by enforcing accountability and identity verification, a critical layer of protection that platforms alone have been unable to uphold.

Despite sporadic efforts by individual messaging services to curb spam and abuse, real-world effectiveness remains limited. One prominent platform acted on only about 2.5% of total ban appeals, underscoring the inadequacy of voluntary, platform-based policing and the need for systemic, infrastructure-level security measures such as SIM binding.

Neutralizing emerging scams: insights from I4C

The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (I4C) recently uncovered a transnational scam exploiting social media advertisements to trick users into linking their messaging accounts via malicious QR codes. This attack leverages the “linked devices” feature to hijack accounts and convert them into “mule accounts” rented out for fraud operations.

Persistent SIM binding directly neutralizes this threat by ensuring that a messaging account remains permanently tied to the original, verified SIM, blocking remote hijacking and preventing account rental. This structural security layer addresses vulnerabilities that conventional app-based protections cannot fully eliminate.

A forward-looking national security mandate

By mandating persistent SIM binding, India has demonstrated global leadership in securing digital communications. The initiative not only strengthens national security but also enhances citizen protection at a time when digital fraud is rapidly evolving in scale and sophistication.

COAI has reaffirmed its full support for the Government’s vision. As Lt Gen Dr S P Kochhar noted, the Indian telecom industry stands ready to assist in every way necessary to ensure that such scams and frauds are effectively prevented, now and in the future.