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Am I covered?

Spam calls, SMS and telemarketing: your rights and how to complain

Plain-language help for ordinary people. General information, not legal advice. Helplines, portals and screen names were checked against official Government and regulator pages on 1 November 2026. Portals change: if a screen looks different, follow the words on the screen and the official guide linked in each step.

What data they hold

  • The sender holds your number, and often your name, city and what you bought or applied for.
  • Telecom companies record your DND preferences and the consent you gave to businesses.

Your rights under current law

  • TRAI's Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 (TCCCPR), amended on 12 February 2025, apply.
  • You can block all or some categories through 1909, the TRAI DND app or your operator.
  • A complaint made within 7 days is valid. Against unregistered senders you do not even need to have registered DND first.
  • Commercial SMS headers now end in -P (promotional), -S (service), -T (transactional) or -G (government). You can check who owns a header on TRAI's header portal.
  • Fraud calls (fake bank, police, KYC) go to Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi. If money was lost, call 1930.

Your DPDP rights once in force

Sections 11 to 14 of the DPDP Act (your rights) and the duties of companies in sections 4 to 10 start on 13 May 2027 (G.S.R. 843(E)). Until then, use the sector rules on this page. After that date you can use both.

From 13 May 2027 you can withdraw consent you gave a business at any time, as easily as you gave it (section 6(4)), and ask where it got your number (section 11).

  • Access: a summary of your data and who it was shared with (section 11).
  • Correction, completion, updating and erasure (section 12).
  • Grievance redressal by the company, before going to the Board (section 13).
  • Nominate someone to act after your death or incapacity (section 14).
  • Withdraw consent, as easily as you gave it (section 6(4)).

Common problems

  • Calls from normal 10 digit numbers selling loans, property or courses.
  • Marketing after you registered DND.
  • Calls from businesses you never gave your number to.
  • Fraud calls pretending to be a bank, courier or police.

Evidence to keep

  • Screenshot of the call log showing the number, date and time.
  • Screenshot of the SMS showing the header and full text.
  • The complaint ID from 1909, Chakshu or the TRAI DND app.
  • Proof of your DND registration (the reply SMS).

See the full evidence checklist.

How to approach, step by step

Go in this order. Start with the company. Move to the next step only when the time limit has passed or the reply is not good enough. If money was lost or you were threatened, go to 1930 or the police first.

Block marketing calls and SMS (DND) and complain by SMS to 1909

1909 is a free short code on every Indian mobile network. You can block commercial calls and messages, and complain about spam. These codes are from TRAI's own public notice.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • The phone with the SIM you want to protect.
  1. To block all commercial calls and SMS except transactional ones, send an SMS with the text FULLY BLOCK (or BLOCK 0) to 1909.
  2. To block all except transactional and service messages, send BLOCK PROMO (or BLOCK 50) to 1909.
  3. To block only one category, send BLOCK 1 (banking, insurance, financial products, credit cards), BLOCK 2 (real estate), BLOCK 3 (education), BLOCK 4 (health), BLOCK 5 (consumer goods and automobiles), BLOCK 6 (communication, broadcasting, IT), BLOCK 7 (tourism and leisure) or BLOCK 8 (food and beverages).
  4. You can also dial *1909*0# (USSD), or call 1909 and follow the voice menu, or use the TRAI DND app.
  5. Keep any reply SMS you get from your operator.
  6. To complain about a spam SMS or call, send an SMS to 1909 in this format: The UCC, XXXXXXXXXX, dd/mm/yy. Put the spam text or a short description first, then the sender's number or header, then the date.
  7. Do it within 7 days of the spam. Under TRAI's 2025 amendment a complaint is valid if it has the sender's number, your number, the date and a short description.
  8. Save the complaint ID your operator sends.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: TRAI public notice: block commercial calls and SMS through 1909, TRAI FAQ on unsolicited commercial communication (SMS complaint format), TRAI: TCCCPR (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (complaint within 7 days), PIB, 12 February 2025: TRAI amends TCCCPR, 2018.

Complain about a marketing call or SMS on Chakshu (within 7 days)

Use this for unwanted marketing (spam) that is not a fraud. A complaint made within 7 days of the call or SMS is a valid complaint and the telecom company must act on it. After 7 days it only counts as a report.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • A screenshot of the call log or SMS.
  • The number or header (for example AB-XYZBNK-P) that sent it.
  • Date and time (within the last 7 days).
  • Your mobile number, your telecom company, your State and telecom circle.
  1. Open sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc or the Sanchar Saathi app.
  2. Under Report Spam (UCC), click Proceed.
  3. Choose the medium: Call or SMS.
  4. Choose the category, for example Banking/insurance/financial products/credit cards, Real Estate, Education or Health.
  5. Attach the screenshot.
  6. Type the sending number or header. (If the number is international, the form sends you to the fraud section instead.)
  7. Enter the date and time.
  8. Write the details in at least 10 characters. Add any numbers or links in the message.
  9. Enter your number. Choose your telecom company (Airtel, BSNL, RJIL, TATA or Vodafone Idea), your State and your circle.
  10. Type the captcha, verify your number with OTP, tick the declaration, click Preview, then Submit.
  11. Save the complaint ID you are given.
  12. Track it on your telecom company's page. Sanchar Saathi lists these: Airtel airtel.in/track-request, BSNL ucc-bsnl.co.in/customers, Jio jio.com/track_sr_status, Vi through the Vi app.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: Chakshu: report suspected fraud or spam (Sanchar Saathi), Sanchar Saathi portal and FAQ (Department of Telecommunications), TRAI: TCCCPR (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (complaint within 7 days).

Report a fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp on Chakshu (Sanchar Saathi)

Chakshu is run by the Department of Telecommunications. Use it for calls or messages that try to cheat you, such as fake KYC, fake police, fake customer care, job or loan offers and sextortion. It is for numbers that tried to cheat you. If you already lost money, call 1930 first.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • A screenshot of the call log or message. The form asks for one.
  • The number or SMS header that contacted you.
  • Date and time (within the last 30 days).
  • Any phone numbers or links mentioned in the message.
  • Your own mobile number, to get an OTP.
  1. Open sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc, or open the Sanchar Saathi app (Google Play or App Store).
  2. On the website, under Citizen Centric Services, choose Chakshu - Report Suspected Fraud Communication.
  3. Under Report Suspected Fraud, click Proceed.
  4. Choose how it came: call, SMS or WhatsApp.
  5. Choose the category. The list includes: KYC and Payment related to Bank / Electricity / Gas / Insurance; Impersonation as Police, CBI, Customs, Aadhaar, RBI; Fake Customer Care Helpline; Online job / lottery / gifts / loan offers; Sextortion; IVR / Robo Calls; Malicious link / website; Investment, Stock Market and Trading; Impersonation as DoT / TRAI; Impersonation as a relative / friend; Any Other Suspected Fraud.
  6. Attach the screenshot. The portal may fill some details from the image. Check them.
  7. Type the number it came from. For an SMS with a name instead of a number, choose With header and type the header.
  8. Enter the date and the time in HH:MM AM/PM format.
  9. In complaint details, write at least 30 characters. Say what they asked for and what they claimed.
  10. Add any phone numbers and links that were in the message.
  11. Enter the mobile number on which you got the call or message.
  12. Type the captcha. Click Verify Mobile via OTP. Enter the OTP. Click Verify OTP.
  13. Tick the declaration. Click Preview. Check it. Click Submit.
  14. Take a screenshot of the thank you message. The Department says it will not send you individual results, for privacy reasons.
  15. If it came on WhatsApp, also report the chat inside WhatsApp. The portal asks you to do this.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: Chakshu: report suspected fraud or spam (Sanchar Saathi), Sanchar Saathi portal and FAQ (Department of Telecommunications).

Use your DPDP rights (from 13 May 2027)

The rights in sections 11 to 14 of the DPDP Act, and the duties of companies that go with them, start on 13 May 2027 (G.S.R. 843(E)). Until then you can still write to a company and ask. Many will answer. But they are not yet bound by these sections.

Keep this ready before you start:

  • The company's published method for rights requests. Rule 14 says companies must show it on their website or app.
  • The identifier they ask for, such as your username, customer ID or registered mobile number.
  1. Find the company's rights or grievance page, or its Data Protection Officer contact.
  2. Send a written request using the method they publish. Use our request letter template.
  3. Ask for what you need: a summary of your data and how it is used, and the names of everyone it was shared with (section 11); correction, completion, updating or erasure (section 12); or a fix for a grievance (section 13). You can also nominate someone to act for you after death or incapacity (section 14), and withdraw consent (section 6(4)).
  4. Save the acknowledgement or ticket number.
  5. Wait for the time they publish. Rule 14(3) says it cannot be more than 90 days.
  6. If they refuse or do not answer, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India. You must use the company's grievance route first (section 13(3)).
  7. The Board works as a digital office. Use the method it publishes on its website and app (rule 19). We will add the link when the Board publishes it.

Checked on 1 November 2026 against: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (MeitY copy of the Gazette), Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (G.S.R. 846(E)), G.S.R. 843(E): start dates for the Act.

Ready-to-use complaint

Copy, fill the brackets, and send it through the company's official channel. Keep a copy.

SMS to 1909:
The UCC, [sender number or header], [dd/mm/yy]

Example: Loan offer call, 9XXXXXXXXX, 01/11/26

Email to a business:
Please stop all marketing calls and messages to [number]. I withdraw any consent. Tell me where you got my number and who else you shared it with. [Name], [date]

Time limits

  • Complaint: within 7 days of the spam.
  • Chakshu fraud report: within 30 days.
  • After TRAI's 2025 amendment, operators must act on unregistered senders within 5 days of the trigger.

If this happened to you

Official sources

On this page
  1. What they hold
  2. Current rights
  3. DPDP rights
  4. Common problems
  5. Evidence
  6. Step by step
  7. Template
  8. Time limits
  9. Scenarios
  10. Sources