Getting spam calls on a number that is registered on DND? This guide shows how to report spam calls to TRAI and to your telecom operator, what to do when Airtel or Jio replies with an automated template, closes your complaint as “consent received”, or opens a “network issue” ticket you never raised, and how to escalate to the Appellate Authority and TRAI. It includes an escalation matrix for both operators and email templates you can copy.
The goal of this route is to stop the calls and get the sender penalized. It is not where compensation comes from. For that, see the bank and NBFC route at the end.
Step 1: Report the Spam Call to TRAI or Your Operator Within 7 Days
Under TRAI’s 2025 amendment, you must report an unsolicited commercial communication (UCC) within 7 days of the call. Don’t wait until you have a pile of calls to report.
You can report by:
- Calling or sending an SMS to 1909
- The TRAI DND app
- Your operator’s own app or website
A complaint only needs the bare minimum: the date of the call and a short description. Screenshots of the call log are accepted. Note the complaint ID you receive.
Step 2: If Airtel or Jio Sends an Automated Reply, Correct It
In my experience, operators tend to reply with automated templates and open a new complaint ID. With Airtel, the replies treated my DND complaints as network or internet issues, which I had never raised. I can’t say why. My guess is that UCC complaints carry penalties for operators, but that is only a guess.
If this happens, don’t accept the new ticket. Reply on the same thread and say clearly:
- This is a DND/UCC complaint, not a network or internet issue.
- You have not raised any network or internet ticket.
- You want the original complaint reopened under the correct category, with no new complaint IDs.
Copy the escalation contacts in the matrix below. Template 2 is written for exactly this situation.
Step 3: Complaint Closed as “Consent Received”? Ask for Proof of Consent
Sometimes the closure says the sender had your consent. If you never gave it, say so and ask for the consent record:
- Which entity claims to have consent
- The date consent was recorded
- How it was collected
- Whether it is registered on the operator’s digital platform
This matters now. Under the Third Amendment (notified 18 September 2026), older consent records can be recognised, but only if they were collected through verifiable means and registered with the operator. An entity that can’t show this should not be relying on it. I am not claiming a statutory right to this disclosure. Ask for it, and let their answer or silence become part of your record.
You can also ask under the DPDP Act 2023 where the sender got your number.
Step 4: Escalate to the Nodal Officer, Appellate Authority and TRAI
Every operator has a Nodal Officer for each circle and an Appellate Authority above it. The Third Amendment adds a formal appeal within 15 days to the operator’s Appellate Authority if you are unhappy with how your spam complaint was resolved. You can appeal through the same channels you used to complain, including 1909, the TRAI DND app and your operator’s app or portal.
Some provisions of the amendment phase in over the months after notification, so check TRAI’s notification for the date the appeal applies. Until then, escalate by email to the Nodal Officer and Appellate Authority and copy TRAI.
Airtel and Jio Escalation Matrix (Karnataka Circle as the Example)
| Level | Airtel | Jio |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Customer care | Airtel app or customer care, with your complaint ID | Jio app or customer care (198), with your complaint ID |
| 2. Nodal Officer | [email protected] | Your circle’s Nodal Officer, listed on the Jio website’s grievance page |
| 3. Appellate Authority | [email protected], 080-41115201 | [email protected], 1800 889 3999 |
| 4. Senior management | [email protected] (Office of the CEO and Managing Director) | Via the Appellate Authority and the regulator copies below |
Copy these on your follow-ups:
- Advisor, TRAI Regional Office, Bengaluru: [email protected]
- Advisor (Quality of Service II, UCC and Spam), TRAI: [email protected]
- Advisor (Consumer Affairs), TRAI: [email protected]
- Advisor (Quality of Service I), TRAI: [email protected]
- Secretary, TRAI: [email protected]
- Chairman, TRAI: [email protected]
- Special Director General (Telecom) / Advisor, DoT Karnataka LSA: [email protected]
- Deputy Director General (Admin/Enforcement), DoT Karnataka LSA: [email protected]
Other circles: TRAI publishes the Appellate Authority contacts for every operator and circle here: https://trai.gov.in/consumer-info/cgr/appellate-authority. Email addresses change, so check before sending.
Email Templates
Replace everything in [brackets]. Write dates and numbers exactly as they appear on your call log.
Template 1: First Report
To: [Operator nodal officer email]
CC: [TRAI regional advisor and other contacts from the list above]
Subject: UCC/DND Complaint: [Your mobile number]: Call received on [date]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am registering a complaint about an unsolicited commercial communication (UCC). This is a DND complaint. It is not a network or internet issue, and I request that it be handled under the UCC category only.
My mobile number [your number] is registered on the National Customer Preference Register (DND). On [date] at [time], I received a call from [caller number] promoting [product or service]. I have never given consent to this sender. The call came from a regular 10-digit mobile number rather than a registered commercial series.
I reported this on [date], within 7 days, through [1909 / TRAI DND app / operator app]. My complaint ID is [ID]. A screenshot of the call log is attached.
I request that you:
- Act on this complaint under the TRAI Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, as amended.
- Share the outcome and the action taken against the sender.
- If the sender claims consent, share the consent record: the entity, the date, how it was collected, and whether it is registered with you.
Regards,
[Your name]
[Your mobile number]
Template 2: Follow-Up When You Get a Network or Internet Reply, or a Closure
To: [Operator nodal officer or appellate authority email]
CC: [TRAI and DoT contacts]
Subject: Re: [Complaint ID]: This is a DND/UCC complaint, not a network or internet issue
Dear Sir/Madam,
Your reply dated [date] refers to [a network issue / an internet issue / a new complaint ID / closure on the ground of consent]. I have not raised any ticket for network or internet issues. My complaint, ID [original ID] dated [date], is about unsolicited commercial calls to a number registered on the DND registry.
I request that you:
- Correct the category to UCC/DND and treat the original complaint as open.
- Respond to the complaint itself, including the action taken against the sender [caller number].
- If the complaint was closed on the ground that the sender had consent, provide proof: the entity, the date, how consent was collected, and whether it is registered with you. I have not given consent to this sender.
- Reply on this thread rather than opening new complaint IDs for the same matter.
If I do not receive a proper response within [number] days, I will appeal to the Appellate Authority and take the matter to TRAI.
Regards,
[Your name]
[Your mobile number]
Template 3: Appeal to the Appellate Authority
To: [Appellate authority email for your circle]
CC: [TRAI contacts]
Subject: Appeal against resolution of UCC complaint [Complaint ID]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am appealing against the resolution of my UCC complaint [ID] dated [date], which was closed on [date] on the ground that [reason given]. I am not satisfied with it because [your reason, for example: I never gave consent and no proof was provided / the complaint was handled as a network issue].
My number [your number] is registered on the DND registry. The calls continued after the complaint was closed, with the latest on [date] from [caller number]. Attached are my original complaint, your response, my follow-up and screenshots of the call log.
I request that you review the closure, provide the consent record if consent is claimed, and share the action taken against the sender.
Regards,
[Your name]
[Your mobile number]
Step 5: Keep Your Evidence for the Money Route
The same call recordings, screenshots and complaint trail also support a complaint against the bank or NBFC whose product is being pitched. That is the route that can lead to compensation, through the RBI Ombudsman and escalation to senior management. Keep everything organised once and use it in both places.
Quick Checklist
- Reported within 7 days through 1909, the TRAI DND app or the operator’s app
- Noted the complaint ID and saved a screenshot of the call log
- Replied on the same thread if the response was about network or internet issues
- Asked for the consent record if the complaint was closed as “consent received”
- Escalated to the Nodal Officer, then the Appellate Authority, copying TRAI
- Appealed within 15 days of the resolution, where the new appeal rules apply
- Kept all evidence for any complaint against the bank or NBFC
Useful Links
- TRAI DND and complaints: dial or SMS 1909, or use the TRAI DND app
- Appellate Authority directory by operator and circle: https://trai.gov.in/consumer-info/cgr/appellate-authority
- RBI complaints: https://cms.rbi.org.in
This is based on my own experience and is not legal advice.