India Expands 1601 Series to Combat Scams

India's telecom regulator has launched an expansion of the 1600-number series, introducing the 1601 series for utilities and courier/logistics companies. This initiative aims to combat fraud and impersonation by enabling consumers to easily recognize legitimate calls. The new series will be issued over 90 days to eligible entities, including electricity, water, gas, and LPG providers, as well as courier and freight services.

Crucially, the 1601 series is designated solely for transactional and service-related calls, with promotional voice calls strictly forbidden. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) stated this aims to differentiate important financial calls from service calls. This measure is expected to be a vital tool against fraudsters who use ordinary 10-digit numbers to impersonate legitimate businesses. Previously, the 1600 series was mandated for calls from the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector and government entities.