TRAI 24-Hour Cool-Off
Definition
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India directive (2018 and tightened thereafter) requiring that after a SIM swap the new SIM cannot be used for OTP-bearing transactions for 24 hours. The window forces the rightful subscriber to notice the original SIM going silent and dispute the swap before financial fraud completes.
- Regulator
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
- Introduced
- 2018, tightened later
- Rule
- New SIM barred from OTP transactions for 24 hours
- Purpose
- Detect SIM swap fraud before it completes
Common questions
How does the 24-hour window actually stop fraud in practice?+
It creates a window in which the legitimate subscriber's original SIM goes silent, prompting them to notice and report the swap before the fraudster can complete OTP-gated financial transactions on the new SIM.
Does the cool-off period stop the SIM swap itself from happening?+
No. It does not prevent the swap from being carried out, it only delays the attacker's ability to use the new SIM for sensitive transactions, which buys time for the fraud to be detected.
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