Two of the most frightening things that can happen with a phone are losing it — with all your UPI apps, photos, and logins inside — and discovering that a stranger has taken out a SIM card in your name, which they can then use for fraud that gets traced back to you.

The government's Sanchar Saathi platform, run by the Department of Telecommunications, gives every citizen free tools to handle both — plus a way to report the scam calls and messages we all receive. This guide walks through its three key services in plain language: blocking a lost phone (CEIR), checking the SIMs in your name (TAFCOP), and reporting fraud (Chakshu).

What Sanchar Saathi Lets You Do

It is a free government website (sancharsaathi.gov.in) and app that brings three protections into one place:

  • CEIR — remotely block a lost or stolen phone by its IMEI number, so it cannot be used on any network in India, on any SIM.
  • TAFCOP — see how many mobile connections are registered against your name/ID, and flag any you did not take.
  • Chakshu — report suspected fraud calls and messages (fake bank calls, KYC scams, phishing SMS).
Free
Every Sanchar Saathi service — no charge, run by the government
Source: Department of Telecommunications
9
Maximum SIM connections allowed on one person's ID (check yours)
Source: DoT rules
All-India
A blocked IMEI is useless on every network, on any SIM
Source: CEIR, Sanchar Saathi
1930
The cyber-fraud helpline to call fast if money is stolen
Source: I4C, Ministry of Home Affairs

1. If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen — Block It

A blocked phone is worthless to a thief, and blocking is safer than hoping to recover it. Do this:

  1. File a police complaint / FIR about the lost phone and keep the complaint number — you'll need it.
  2. Get a new SIM with your old number from your operator (report the loss so no one misuses the number).
  3. Go to sancharsaathi.gov.in (or the Sanchar Saathi app) → "Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile" (CEIR).
  4. Enter your phone's IMEI number (the 15-digit number printed on the box, the bill, or found earlier by dialling *#06#), the phone details, the FIR copy, and an ID proof.
  5. Submit. The phone's IMEI is blocked across all networks — it can't be used with any SIM. You get a request ID to track it, and you can un-block it later if you recover the phone.

Tip: note down your phone's IMEI today (dial `*#06#`) and save it somewhere safe — you'll need it fast if the phone ever goes missing.

2. Check How Many SIMs Are in Your Name (TAFCOP)

Fraudsters sometimes use a person's Aadhaar/ID to activate extra SIMs, which they then use for crime. You can check for this in a minute:

  1. On sancharsaathi.gov.in (or the app), open "Know Your Mobile Connections" (TAFCOP).
  2. Enter your mobile number and the OTP you receive.
  3. You'll see the list of all mobile numbers registered against your ID.
  4. If you see a number you do not recognise, flag it right there as "Not my number" — the operator will investigate and get it disconnected.

Everyone should do this once and check again every few months — it takes two minutes and can stop a fraud before it starts.

Report the scam calls and messages you get
Chakshu — flag fraud so others are protected too
Got a call claiming your "KYC will expire", your "electricity will be cut tonight", a fake bank or courier message, or a suspicious link? Report it free on sancharsaathi.gov.in → "Chakshu – Report Suspected Fraud Communication". Enter the number/SMS and a short description. This feeds the government's system to trace and cut off fraud numbers — protecting you and everyone else. Important: Chakshu is for reporting suspicious contact. If you have already lost money to a scam, act immediately — call the cyber-crime helpline 1930 and file a report at cybercrime.gov.in within the first hours, when the money can still be frozen.

Get the Genuine App — and Avoid Fakes

Use only the official Sanchar Saathi website sancharsaathi.gov.in or the official app from the Google Play Store / Apple App Store (published by the Department of Telecommunications). There are copycat websites and apps — never enter your details on a lookalike, and never pay anyone to "block" or "unblock" a phone; all of it is free on the official platform.

Two things to do this week

First, dial *#06# and save your phone's IMEI number somewhere safe — so if the phone is ever lost, you can block it instantly at sancharsaathi.gov.in. Second, open TAFCOP and check how many SIMs are registered in your name — flag any you didn't take. Both are free, take five minutes total, and protect you from the two worst phone disasters: a stolen device full of your apps, and a fraud committed on a SIM in your name. Keep 1930 saved for the day money is actually at stake.

What You Can Do

  • Save your IMEI now: dial `*#06#` and note the 15-digit number somewhere safe.
  • If a phone is lost/stolen: file an FIR, then block it via CEIR on sancharsaathi.gov.in — it becomes useless nationwide.
  • Check TAFCOP to see all SIMs in your name; flag any you don't recognise as "Not my number".
  • Report scam calls/SMS on Chakshu so fraud numbers get traced and cut.
  • If you've lost money to fraud: call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in immediately — speed lets banks freeze the money.
  • Use only the official site/app (sancharsaathi.gov.in) — every service is free; never pay an agent.

Your phone number and device are tied to your money and your identity. Sanchar Saathi hands you the controls for free — learn to use them before you need them.

Sources