Stories
Recover Lost Or Stolen Phones Using Government Portal Sanchar Saathi
- •The Sanchar Saathi portal has successfully recovered and returned over 1.4 million lost or stolen mobile phones to their owners.
- •Users can instantly block lost or stolen phones by entering their IMEI number on the portal to prevent misuse.
- •The portal has registered over 300 million visits since its launch in May 2023.
- •Through the Chakshu service on the portal, more than 5 million fake SIM cards linked to online fraud have been blocked.
Key Questions Answered
Launched by the Indian government in May 2023, the Sanchar Saathi portal allows citizens to block lost or stolen mobile phones nationwide using their IMEI number. Once blocked, the device becomes unusable with any other SIM card, and the system tracks its activity to help law enforcement recover and return handsets to their owners.
Citizens can use the portal's 'Chakshu' service to report suspicious calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages regarding fake KYC, lottery scams, imposters, and fraudulent job offers. The platform has processed millions of complaints, leading to the disconnection of over 5 million fraudulent mobile connections to combat cyber fraud.
After dropping or losing a smartphone, users should inform the police, contact their telecom operator to suspend the SIM card, and visit the Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in). Entering the phone's IMEI number on the portal immediately blocks the handset across all national telecom networks.
