Are you getting bombarded with endless promotional calls, automated voice messages, or aggressive follow-up calls from digital lending platforms?
Knowing how to stop spam calls from loan apps has become a vital skill for mobile users in India who want to secure their personal space and digital privacy.
Many loan applications distribute customer data to third-party marketing agencies and call centers.
This data sharing leads to a flood of unsolicited calls offering pre-approved personal credit or cash lines.
In this guide, we provide a complete set of methods to block these calls permanently.
We will cover registering for TRAI DND (Do Not Disturb) services, reporting numbers on the government’s Chakshu portal, filtering out spam via caller ID tools, and revoking app permission settings.
Why Do You Get Endless Spam Calls from Loan Apps?
If you have ever checked your loan eligibility online or registered on a finance portal, your mobile number likely entered a lead database.
Fintech platforms routinely share customer contact details with partner call centers and recovery agents to drive sales.
Even if you have paid off your loan or uninstalled the app, your number remains active in their dialer registries.
In worse cases, installing unauthorized loan apps allows them to harvest your entire contacts directory, causing spam calls to target your friends and family members as well.
Method 1: Register for TRAI DND (Do Not Disturb) Services
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) provides a free service to restrict Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC).
By registering on the National Do Not Call (NDNC) registry, you can filter out promotional calls from registered telemarketers.
How to Activate DND via SMS (1909)
You can activate the DND service instantly by sending a text message from your mobile number.
Follow these quick steps:
- Open the messaging app on your phone.
- Create a new message and enter the recipient number as 1909.
- To block all promotional categories, type START 0 in the message body.
- Send the SMS. You will receive a confirmation message containing your DND registration request ID.
It typically takes 24 hours for the DND activation to update across all telemarketer servers.
How to Activate DND via Mobile Operator Apps
If you prefer a visual interface, you can manage DND settings inside your network provider’s official app.
Here is how to do it for major operators:
- MyJio App: Open the app $\rightarrow$ Go to Menu $\rightarrow$ Select Profile & Settings $\rightarrow$ Under “Do Not Disturb,” click “Manage” $\rightarrow$ Choose Full DND.
- Airtel Thanks App: Go to the Manage tab $\rightarrow$ Scroll down to shortcuts $\rightarrow$ Select “More” $\rightarrow$ Click DND $\rightarrow$ Select “Block All.”
- Vi App: Open the app $\rightarrow$ Go to Account $\rightarrow$ Select DND settings $\rightarrow$ Tap “Activate Full DND.”
Method 2: Report Scammers on DoT’s Chakshu Portal (Sanchar Saathi)
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched the **Chakshu** facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal.
This portal is designed specifically for citizens to report suspected fraud communications, such as fake lottery offers, impersonation calls, or pushy loan agents.
If you continue to get spam calls from loan apps despite having DND active, follow these reporting steps:
- Visit the official Sanchar Saathi portal at sancharsaathi.gov.in.
- Click on the **”Chakshu – Report Suspected Fraud Communication”** option.
- Select the medium of communication (Call, SMS, or WhatsApp).
- Choose the category of fraud (e.g., suspected communication involving banking/loans/payment cards).
- Provide the caller’s mobile number, the date and time of the call, and a brief description of the incident.
- Upload a screenshot of the call log or WhatsApp message as evidence.
- Enter your mobile number, verify via OTP, and submit the complaint.
The government will verify the number and block its connection if fraud patterns are detected.
Method 3: Stop Harassment Calls by Revoking Mobile App Permissions
Many loan applications run background processes to monitor your call log history and device information.
By revoking their system access, you can prevent them from accessing your device data.
Follow these steps to clean your app permissions:
- Open your phone’s Settings menu.
- Navigate to Apps & Notifications (or Application Manager).
- Find and tap on the specific loan app (e.g., KreditBee, Navi, etc.).
- Select the Permissions tab.
- Disable access for **Contacts, Storage/Files, Call Logs, and Phone**.
- If you are no longer using the app, tap **Uninstall** to remove it completely.
Under the RBI’s digital lending guidelines, apps are strictly forbidden from accessing contacts and galleries, so keeping these off is completely safe.
Method 4: Use Advanced Caller ID & Spam Filtering Apps
If telemarketers call you from unregistered personal numbers (bypassing the TRAI DND filter), you can block them on your device.
Using caller ID tools like **Truecaller** allows you to configure advanced call blocking rules:
- Enable the **”Block top spammers”** setting. This automatically rejects calls from numbers flagged as spam by the community.
- Enable the **”Block numbers from foreign countries”** option (if you receive VoIP calls).
- Set up blocklists for specific number series (e.g., blocking all calls starting with specific telemarketer prefixes).
What to Do If Spam Calls Turn Into Threatening Recovery Harassment?
Sometimes, loan app spam calls cross the line into illegal harassment or blackmail.
If recovery agents threaten you or attempt to use morphed images, take these emergency steps:
- Stop Paying: Never pay extortion demands. Paying once will only cause them to request more money.
- File a Cyber Complaint: Report the number, UPI details, and screenshots of messages immediately to the **National Cyber Crime Portal** at cybercrime.gov.in or call the national cyber helpline at 1930.
- File an RBI Sachet Complaint: If a registered lender is harassing you, register a formal complaint on the RBI Sachet portal at sachet.rbi.org.in.
- Inform Your Reference List: Send a broadcast message to your family and friends warning them that your phone was compromised and to block any calls under your name.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does registering for TRAI DND block all loan app calls?
DND blocks promotional and marketing calls from registered telemarketers. However, it does not block transactional messages (like OTPs, monthly statements) or calls from personal numbers used by illegal, unregistered loan apps.
What is the TRAI toll-free number for reporting DND violations?
You can report persistent spam callers by dialing the official DND helpline at 1909 or reporting the UCC via SMS to 1909 within 3 days of receiving the call.
Can I block loan app spam calls on WhatsApp?
Yes. WhatsApp provides options to block and report numbers. If you receive a promotional message from an unknown business account, tap the “Block” button and check the option to “Report spam.”
What is the Sanchar Saathi Chakshu portal?
Chakshu is a citizen-safety tool launched by the Department of Telecommunications. It allows mobile users in India to report spam, suspicious calls, and cyber-fraud attempts directly to the authorities.
Why do loan apps call my contacts if I uninstall the app?
If you granted the app contacts permission before uninstalling, they likely scraped your contacts list to their remote database. Uninstalling the app afterwards does not delete the copied data from their servers. This is why you must warn your contacts to ignore such calls.
Conclusion
Securing your phone from spam calls requires a proactive approach.
By activating DND, revoking intrusive app permissions, and reporting persistent spammers on the Chakshu portal, you can significantly reduce commercial noise and protect your peace of mind.
Always verify the permissions you grant to new apps and avoid sharing your contact details on unverified loan comparison websites. Share this guide with friends who need help blocking spam calls!
