Truecaller launches government directory to protect users in India from scammers

Truecaller has launched an in-app government digital directory for its users in India. According to the company, it will provide seamless interaction between users and the government of India by giving access to verified contacts of government officials. This feature also aims to protect users from spam, fraud, and scam phone calls.

“Truecaller has evolved to become more than just a Caller Identification app and is today bridging the digital divide between the urban and growing semi-urban/rural markets in India by enabling trust in digital communication. Our attempt is to protect people from widespread impersonation of government officials, leading to scams and frauds. We believe that with this feature, citizens can easily reach out to the right authorities when in need,” said Pragya Misra, Director of Public Affairs, Truecaller.

The digital government directory provides access to helplines, law enforcement agencies, embassies, educational institutes, hospitals, and verified contacts of other key departments. Currently, the app includes around 20 central government ministries, over 23 states, and union territories. As per Truecaller, the information has been sourced directly from the government and official government sources.

While receiving a phone call, users will see a green background and a blue tick, which ensures that the phone number is verified. Truecaller will update the feature with more verified numbers across different departments and states in the coming months. The government digital directory is available on the latest Truecaller app for Android devices. Truecaller has also created a process for government officials to submit their requests for getting verified on the government digital directory.