The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued an order dated March 28 seeking a temporary suspension of USSD-based call forwarding service. The order cites the rise of online scams and unwarranted usage of the facility as the reason behind the action. It is a temporary suspension, meaning the government body does not intend to permanently disable it, however, the official letter did not specify any date for its reinstatement. Notably, the agency launched the Chakshu Portal last month as a facility for the people of India to report suspected fraud communications. In an order, the DoT said that it had noticed that the USSD-based call-forwarding facility was being “misused in some unwarranted activities” pointing at its usage for committing online scams and fraud. The suspension also hints at the facility’s vulnerability in security. “ In this regard, it was decided by the competent authority that all licensees shall discontinue the existing USSD based call forwarding services with effect from 15.04.2024 till further notice,” the regulator added. The timing of the suspension could also be related to minimising …