ASTR: How govt’s AI and face recognition tool will detect phone frauds

ASTR: How govt’s AI and face recognition tool will detect phone frauds

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Awareness in IT and Computers

Context:  The DoT claims the tool — called Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR) — can potentially bring down cyber frauds by detecting and blocking possible fraudulent mobile connections

What is ASTR?

• Its acronym is ‘Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition Powered Solution for Telecom Sim Subscriber Verification – ASTR
• Created specifically to address problems of SIM-card fraud
• ASTR was conceptualised and implemented by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Haryana LSA unit “to carry out 100% mobile subscriber verification”.

How does it work?

• The system uses subscriber images provided by the Telecom Subscriber Providers (TSPs) and compares the same to groups of similar images using facial recognition.
• It also compares other details available in the database to confirm any cases of forged documents or duplication of SIM card registrations under different names, guardian name, date of birth or any other KYC parameter
• It runs all subscriber images through ASTR’s facial recognition mechanism until you get a match
• It Use fuzzy logic for finding a unique set of names (fuzzy logic is a science of approximate string matching).
• Using this, authorities can identify two entries that are approximately similar and so find a set of subscriber names
• ASTR conducts unique mapping of the subscriber image with names
• ASTR comes across individual subscribers that have over nine SIMs in their name because the DoT allows an individual to take nine legitimate mobile phone connections using a single identity proof.

Success using ASTR

• In first phase, analysis of more than 87 crore mobile connections was carried out.
• For such a large data processing, Param-Sidhhi Supercomputer was used.
• Multiple cases were detected where one photograph was used to obtain hundreds of connections.
• A total of 40.87 Lakh suspected mobile connections were detected.
• After due verification 36.61 Lakh connections have already been disconnected. Remaining are under process.
• 40,123 Point of Sales (PoS) involved in selling such mobile connections, have been blacklisted by the service providers and more than 150 FIRs have been lodged across India.
• The details of disconnected numbers have been shared with banks, payment wallets and social media platforms for disengaging these numbers with their accounts.

Related Information:

Sanchar Saathi portal:

• It is a citizen centric initiative of Department of Telecommunications to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen centric initiatives of the Government
• It empowers citizens by allowing them to know the mobile connections issued in their name, get disconnected the connections not required by them, block/trace lost mobile phones and check genuineness of devices while buying a new/old mobile phone.