The digital landscape is rife with fraudulent SMS messages and calls, presenting a significant risk to individuals. These deceptive communications can trick people into making mistakes that compromise their financial security. Cybercriminals are constantly refining their techniques, making it challenging to distinguish between legitimate and fake messages. In response, TRAI has introduced new guidelines to help users identify and avoid fraudulent SMS messages.
Fraudsters commonly impersonate banks, government agencies, telecom providers, and e-commerce platforms to send fraudulent messages. These messages often include links that, if clicked, can introduce malware or viruses onto your phone. This malware can steal your personal data, banking details, and passwords, potentially resulting in unauthorized financial transactions.
To combat this, TRAI has established a system for SMS identification. Authentic messages now feature a sender ID with a specific suffix:
* **S**: Used for messages concerning banking, telecom services, or transactions.
* **G**: Indicates messages related to government schemes or alerts.
* **P**: Signifies promotional messages sent by companies authorized by TRAI.
By recognizing these codes, you can quickly determine the authenticity of an SMS. If a message does not include these codes or contains suspicious links, it is wise to refrain from clicking on it.