After the introduction of 5G network in the country, the number of mobile towers is continuously increasing. Telecom companies are constantly striving for better networks in urban as well as rural areas.
In return for installing towers, telecom companies pay rent according to the land. This rent can range from thousands to lakhs of rupees per month. This is the reason why many people want to install mobile towers on their vacant land or rooftops. At the same time, cyber thugs are taking advantage of this and committing fraud in the name of mobile towers. Recently, India's state-owned telecom company BSNL has issued an advisory on social media platform X (Twitter) regarding this.
According to this advisory, cyber criminals have created a fake website in the name of BSNL. They falsely claim to have installed BSNL mobile towers on it. Such websites can steal your data or cause you financial loss. So, one needs to be careful with such websites.
So today In work news We will talk about how cyber thugs are targeting people in the name of mobile towers? You will also learn that-
- How to protect yourself from such scams?
- What is the correct procedure for installing a mobile tower?
Expert: Pawan Duggal, Cyber Expert, New Delhi
Q- How do cyber thugs trick people in the name of mobile towers? Answer: Cyber thugs dupe people with huge incomes every month in exchange for installing towers on their land or rooftops. Along with this, the telecom company also promises to provide a job to one person. This is the reason why people easily fall into their trap and fall prey to fraud.
Q- What advisory has BSNL issued regarding this? Answer- BSNL has said in its X (Twitter) post that cybercriminals have created a Website called bsnltowersite.in. This website is a fraud. Its name and homepage are same as official website of BSNL. This is the reason why people cannot recognize it at first sight.
Through this website cyber criminals intend to cheat BSNL in the name of installing mobile towers. Beware of such fake websites. They can scam you in the name of installing a mobile tower or making an appointment in BSNL. For any update related to BSNL, always visit its official website (www.bsnl.co.in).
Question- How to avoid scams in the name of mobile tower? Answer: In a mobile tower scam, scammers first claim to be representatives of a telecom company. After this, in the name of company policy, they lure you with a job or a huge salary without doing anything. Once you fall into their trap, they ask you to file charges in the name of registering with the company.
Always keep in mind that a telecom company never calls someone like this and offers to install a mobile tower. If you get such a call, don't fall into its trap. Apart from this, keep in mind some things given in the graphic below.
Question- What is the correct procedure for installing a mobile tower? Answer- If you want to install a mobile tower on your plot or rooftop, first you need to contact the tower operating company. For this you have to go to the office of the tower operating company. You can also visit the online website. A company representative will then inspect your property.
Some rules have been set by the government regarding mobile towers. Based on these rules, it is decided whether a tower can be installed on your property or not. Understand it with the following indicators-
- There should be no hospital within 100 meters of the property to install the mobile tower.
- If you want to install a mobile tower in a village, there should be at least 2500 square feet of vacant land. While the city requires 2000 square feet of vacant land.
- There should be at least 500 square feet of space on the roof of the building to install the tower.
- Apart from this, necessary documents are verified. After this, an agreement is signed by the company regarding the installation of the tower.
Question- Is there any security money required to be deposited for installing a mobile tower? Answer- Not at all. If a mobile company is installing a mobile tower on your land, it cannot demand any kind of security money or money. All its expenses are borne by the mobile company itself.
Q- What permission is required for installing a mobile tower? Answer- According to the Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules 2022, there is no need to take permission from any authority to install mobile towers on private property. However, the company installing the tower has to give written information to the local administration.
Q- How much rent do you get for installing a mobile tower? Answer: For this, the monthly rent from the telecom company ranges from 5000 rupees to 60 thousand rupees. This rent is determined based on your city, land location, height etc.
Q- What to do if you are a victim of mobile tower fraud? Answer: If such fraud occurs, first report it to the local police. After this, lodge a complaint on the cybercrime website or the national helpline number 1930. Cyber police will help you in this matter.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
