TSECL urges customers to stay alert against SMS fraud

The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) has cautioned consumers against fraudulent SMS messages being sent by unscrupulous individuals to deceive customers. The corporation regularly communicates with its consumers by sending important electricity-related information and updates via SMS. However, recent incidents have revealed attempts by fraudsters to trick customers through fake messages.

To help consumers identify authentic communications, TSECL explained how to recognize genuine SMS messages from the corporation. The first part of any SMS—displayed as the name or code of the sender—is called the SMS “header” or “sender ID.” TSECL’s registered sender ID is TSECLi. Since May 6, 2025, under new regulations by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), an additional letter is added at the end of the header to indicate the message type: -S for service-related messages, -T for transactional messages, -P for promotional messages, and -G for government messages. For example, if the header reads IM-TSECLi-S, it means the message is a service-related communication from TSECL, with IM denoting the telecom operator and circle code, and TSECLi being the verified sender ID of the corporation.

According to TSECL, genuine messages will always contain accurate customer details, such as bill amount and meter number, and will be written in a professional and precise manner. The corporation will never request OTPs, passwords, or banking information via SMS and will only share links to its official website or mobile app. On the other hand, unknown sender IDs, unfamiliar mobile numbers, threatening language, shortened or suspicious links, requests for personal details, or offers of lotteries and refunds are clear indicators of fraudulent messages.

TSECL has urged all consumers to immediately contact its official helpline upon receiving any suspicious SMS, avoid clicking unknown links, and report such fraudulent messages to the telecom operator or the cyber cell. The corporation stressed that ensuring customer safety is a shared responsibility and that developing the habit of identifying the verified sender ID TSECLi can help prevent most fraud attempts. TSECL called upon everyone to remain vigilant against such scams.