Post Highlights
Most of us have been there. Your phone rings, you pick up, and someone on the other end is trying to sell you a loan, update your KYC, or warn you that your electricity will be cut off in two hours.
These are spam calls and they are not just annoying. The more sophisticated ones are outright fraud attempts.
The good news is that India has real, working tools to deal with this. TRAI’s Do Not Disturb service can cut down promotional calls at the network level. Your phone has built-in filters you may not have turned on. And for calls that cross into fraud territory, there’s a dedicated reporting portal.
This guide covers all of it free methods only, no apps to pay for.
What Are Spam Calls?
Spam calls are calls you never asked for. They fall into two broad types:
Unsolicited Commercial Calls (UCC): Promotional calls from telemarketers advertising loans, insurance, real estate, or credit cards. These come from registered businesses but are sent to numbers that did not opt in.
Suspected fraud calls: These impersonate banks, TRAI, government agencies, or even family members. Their goal is to extract money, OTPs, or personal information. These are a different category entirely, not just annoying, but dangerous.
TRAI’s DND service addresses the first type. The Chakshu portal on Sanchar Saathi handles the second. You need to know which tool to use for which situation.
Read detailed guide on: Sanchar Saathi App: Download, Features & Complete Guide
Ways to Block Suspected Spam Calls in India
Method 1 – Register for DND (Blocks Telemarketing at Network Level)
The Do Not Disturb (DND) service is run by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and is completely free. Once registered, your number is added to the National Customer Preference Register (NCPR). Registered telemarketers are legally required to avoid calling numbers on this list.
How to Activate DND
Via SMS (quickest method): Send an SMS → START 0 to 1909 from the mobile number you want to register.
You will receive a confirmation SMS, and DND becomes active within 7 working days.
Via Phone Call: Dial 1909 (toll-free from all networks) and follow the voice menu to register.
Via TRAI DND App: Download the TRAI DND app from the Play Store or App Store. You can register, manage preferences, and file complaints directly from the app.
What “START 0” Means
The code “0” means you are blocking all categories of commercial communication calls and SMS. TRAI also allows you to block only selected categories (banking, insurance, real estate, etc.) if you prefer. For most people, “START 0” is the simplest and most complete option.
Checking Your DND Status
Send STATUS DND to 1909 to check whether your number is currently registered.
Still Getting Calls After 7 Days?
File a complaint. You can do this by:
- Calling or SMS-ing 1909
- Using the TRAI DND app
Note your complaint number. If the issue is not resolved within 45 days, you can escalate through the TRAI portal.
Important limitation: DND only covers registered Indian telemarketers. It cannot block personal numbers used for scams, international calls spoofing Indian numbers, or calls from unregistered sources. For those, use the methods below.
Method 2 – Enable Your Phone’s Built-In Spam Filter
Most smartphones sold in India, whether Android or iPhone, come with a spam detection feature that is turned off by default. Switching it on takes under a minute.
On Android (Google Phone App)
This works on most Android phones (Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola, and others using the Google Phone app):
- Open the Phone app
- Tap the three-dot menu (top right) → Settings
- Tap Caller ID & Spam
- Turn on See caller and spam ID
- Turn on Filter spam calls
Once enabled, calls identified as suspected spam are silenced automatically, they do not ring, they go straight to your call history with a “Suspected spam” label.
For Samsung phones: Open the Phone app → Settings → Block numbers → enable Smart Call or Caller ID. Samsung uses its own spam database combined with carrier data.
On iPhone
Silence Unknown Callers (simplest method): Go to Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers and toggle it on.
Any number not in your contacts, email history, or recent calls will be sent straight to voicemail. You can check and call back from the Recents list.
Block a specific number manually: Open Phone app → Recents → tap the ⓘ icon next to the number → scroll down → Block this Caller.
Method 3 – Use Truecaller (Optional but Effective)
Truecaller is a third-party app, not a government service. It is optional, but widely used in India because it identifies callers by name, even numbers not saved in your contacts, using a community powered database.
When a call comes in from a known spam number, Truecaller shows a “Spam” or “Scam Likely” tag before you even pick up.
Protect your self from cyber fraud though this guide: Check How Many SIM Cards Are Active on Your Name
When to Report to Chakshu
DND stops promotional calls. Your phone’s spam filter catches unknown numbers. But what about calls that are clearly fraudulent, someone pretending to be a bank officer, a TRAI official, or threatening police action?
These should be reported to the Chakshu portal under the Sanchar Saathi initiative.
Report URL: sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/
Chakshu is designed for suspected fraud communications calls, SMS, or WhatsApp messages that appear to be scam attempts but where you have not yet lost money. Reports contribute to a national database. When a number is flagged repeatedly, it gets disconnected at the network level.
Already lost money? Don’t use Chakshu for that. Call 1930 (Cyber Crime Helpline) or visit cybercrime.gov.in immediately.
For a complete step by step guide on reporting through Chakshu, read: Chakshu Portal: How to Report Fraud Calls, SMS & WhatsApp
What Spam Calls DND Cannot Block
Knowing the limits of DND helps you not be surprised:
| Type of Call | Blocked by DND? |
|---|---|
| Promotional calls from registered telemarketers | ✅ Yes |
| SMS advertisements from businesses | ✅ Yes |
| OTPs and transactional bank messages | ❌ No (by design) |
| Calls from private/personal numbers used for fraud | ❌ No |
| International calls spoofing +91 numbers | ❌ No |
| Calls from unregistered or prepaid numbers | ❌ No |
For the ones DND cannot block, your phone’s built-in spam filter and Chakshu are the right tools.
Also Read: Know Your Mobile KYM: Check IMEI Before Buying a Used Phone
Tips to Reduce Spam Calls Over Time
These habits reduce the chance of your number ending up on spam lists:
- Do not share your number on online forms or contest entries unless it is a trusted source
- Avoid listing your number publicly on social media profiles, classifieds, or forums
- Do not press any key during a spam call, responding confirms to automated diallers that your number is active
- Do not call back unknown missed calls, especially from numbers starting with +92, +44, or other international codes mixed with Indian-looking formats
- Check which apps have permission to access your contacts and call logs, some apps harvest numbers and sell them
Conclusion
Stopping spam calls does not require expensive apps or complicated steps. The combination of TRAI’s DND service, your phone’s own spam filter, and knowing when to report to Chakshu covers almost everything.
FAQs:
DND becomes active within 7 working days after you register.
No. DND only blocks calls from registered commercial telemarketers.
Suspected spam calls are calls that appear to be fraud attempts
On iPhone, you can enable “Silence Unknown Callers” under Settings → Phone. This sends any number not in your contacts directly to voicemail. On Android, you can enable “Filter spam calls” in the Google Phone app settings for automatic filtering.
Yes. You can register a landline number for DND by calling 1909 from that number