Cyber Fraud Alert Tune in Amitabh Bachchan's Voice to Play Only Twice a Day
In response to increasing public complaints, the Indian government has revised its cybercrime awareness strategy by reducing the frequency of the cyber fraud alert caller tune voiced by Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan. The iconic voice message, which was previously played before every outgoing call, will now be heard only twice a day, and will not be played during emergency calls.
The decision comes amid rising concerns and growing annoyance among mobile users, who were repeatedly exposed to the same message each time they made a call. While the initiative was launched with the intention of raising awareness about cyber fraud, public sentiment suggested that the repetitive nature of the caller tune had started to become more of a nuisance than a safeguard.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and Cyber Dost, both operating under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, announced the update via their official X (formerly Twitter) handle. Their post stated:
“Stop. Think. Take action. This is not just a tune, it is a message for your safety. Now it will only play twice a day, not during emergency calls.”
The cyber fraud alert tune, introduced as part of a nationwide campaign to make citizens more vigilant about online scams, played in Amitabh Bachchan’s distinctive voice, urging people to be cautious. However, with the frequency of the tune becoming a source of widespread dissatisfaction, several citizens had even filed Right to Information (RTI) applications questioning its necessity and asking for its removal.
Taking cognizance of public feedback and the RTIs, the government has made this significant revision in the interest of user convenience without compromising the core message of cyber safety. Emergency services, including police, ambulance, and fire brigade calls, will now be exempt from this pre-call message entirely.
This change reflects the government’s effort to strike a balance between public safety communication and user comfort in an increasingly digital world where cyber threats are rapidly evolving.