Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), with a view to protecting the interest of prepaid mobile customers in the country from the menace of missed calls (wangiri calls), SMS and calls relating to winning of prizes or lottery from international numbers, have issued directive to all telecom service providers in the country regarding provision of ISD facility to prepaid cellular mobile telephone service consumers and advisory to consumers through SMS at periodic intervals. TRAI has been in discussion with the service providers and industry associations from October 2011, about implementation of measures for controlling the above menace.
Prepaid customers where reporting complaints to TRAI about frequently receiving missed calls from international telephone numbers, which are often premium numbers charging high call tariff. When some one tries to call back the ISD missed call numbers, they are been charged at a premium rate, thus losing lots of money. TRAI has also been receiving complaints from consumers about calls and SMS from international numbers informing them about winning of prizes or lottery and prompting consumers to call a particular number to claim the prize or lottery money. These numbers are international numbers, which are often premium numbers charging higher tariffs. By responding to such calls/SMS the consumers have to pay unintended charges. Lots of consumers have fallen to this trap and loosed lots of money calling this ISD numbers.
TRAI found that certain unscrupulous parties are exploiting the ISD facility provided on prepaid cellular mobile telephone service numbers by inducing consumers to make ISD calls unknowingly. Therefore, to protect the subscribers from unintended deduction of amount from their pre-paid account,TRAI has directed all Access Service providers as follows: