Government to Remove Amitabh Bachchan’s Cyber Fraud Caller Tune Today: Here’s Why
Govt to remove Amitabh Bachchan’s cyber fraud caller tune today after campaign ends; users found the 40-second message disruptive during urgent calls.
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The government’s cybercrime awareness caller tune featuring Amitabh Bachchan’s voice will be discontinued starting today. The 40-second message, which played before every phone call as part of a campaign against rising cyber fraud, has drawn widespread criticism from users for being disruptive—especially during urgent or emergency calls.
Launched in September 2024 by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union Home Ministry, the campaign aimed to educate the public about cyber fraud risks. However, many subscribers expressed frustration on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), citing that the frequent caller tune caused delays when trying to connect important calls.
The campaign officially concluded recently, prompting the government to stop the tune’s playback, NDTV reports, citing insider sources. Despite the backlash, Amitabh Bachchan faced some trolling online for the repetitive message, to which the veteran actor responded humorously, “Tell the government, I just did what they said.”
This is not Amitabh Bachchan’s first collaboration with government awareness initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his voice was featured in caller tunes promoting health and safety precautions.
In December 2024, telecom operators were instructed to play the cyber fraud caller tune 8 to 10 times daily for three months to maximize outreach. With the campaign now wrapped up, the familiar tune will no longer interrupt calls.
