Key Points
- C-DOT's FraudPro reached GLOMO Awards finals at Mobile World Congress 2026
- Platform uses facial deduplication to detect fraudulent mobile connections
- Solution deployed on government's Sancharsaathi portal across India
C-DOT‘s fraud detection platform FraudPro has reached the finals of the Global Mobile Awards at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona. The Centre for Development of Telematics, the government’s telecom research body, developed the artificial intelligence-based system to identify fraudulent mobile connections across Indian networks.
The recognition marks the first time an Indian telecom security solution has reached the finals in the Best Network Security and Fraud Prevention category at the GLOMO Awards. The Global System for Mobile Communications Association, which represents mobile operators worldwide, organises these awards annually.
For mobile users in India, identity fraud in telecom has direct consequences. Criminals use fake or stolen documents to obtain SIM cards, which are then used for financial scams, phishing calls and harassment. Victims often discover their identity has been misused only when law enforcement contacts them about crimes they did not commit.
How FraudPro detects fraudulent mobile connections
The platform uses artificial intelligence, a technology that enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human judgement, and machine learning, where systems improve their accuracy by analysing large amounts of data over time. Together, these technologies power three core functions.
First, the system performs large-scale image deduplication. This means comparing photographs submitted during SIM registration against a database of existing images to find duplicates. If the same face appears across multiple registrations under different names, the system flags these as potentially fraudulent.
Second, FraudPro detects forged documents. The platform analyses identity documents submitted during customer verification, identifying signs of manipulation or forgery that human reviewers might miss.
Third, the system enables re-verification of existing connections. Telecom operators can run their subscriber databases through the platform to identify suspicious patterns among active SIM cards.
Deployment across Indian telecom networks
The Department of Telecommunications has deployed FraudPro as part of its Digital Intelligence Platform. The solution also powers fraud detection on the Sancharsaathi portal, the government’s public interface for telecom-related complaints and services.
India had over 1.15 billion active mobile connections as of January 2025, according to TRAI data. Managing identity verification at this scale presents significant challenges for operators and regulators.
The platform processes verification requests in real time, allowing operators to flag suspicious registrations before activating new connections. This approach aims to prevent fraud at the point of entry rather than identifying it after misuse has occurred.
Recognition at Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress, held annually in Barcelona, is the largest gathering of the mobile communications industry. The GLOMO Awards have recognised innovations in mobile technology since 1996.
FraudPro competed against entries from telecom companies and technology firms across multiple continents. The finalists in the security category were announced during the congress, which ran from 24 February to 27 February 2026.
C-DOT, established in 1984, develops telecom technologies for Indian conditions. The organisation has previously developed rural telephone exchanges, broadband equipment and 4G technology for domestic deployment.
