Cyber fraud is experiencing a sharp surge in India and worldwide, with more than 11 lakh cases registered in India alone in 2024. Of all the different types of online fraud, digital arrest fraud—scammers posing as law enforcement personnel—has been increasing at a startling pace.
Such fraudsters usually target weaker sections of society, including senior citizens. As a response, the government has intensified its efforts to prevent such scams and inform the public about upcoming cyber threats.
Thousands of WhatsApp and Skype Accounts Blocked to Prevent Fraud
Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar revealed that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) had taken positive action against online fraud. Over 83,668 WhatsApp accounts employed for fraudulent purposes, including cyber arrest scams, were blocked. Moreover, more than 3,962 Skype IDs associated with cyber scams were disabled.
The minister also outlined the government's multi-faceted strategy of creating awareness of cyber fraud. This includes broadcasting an unskippable caller tune in regional languages on an outgoing call, placing advertisements in newspapers, collaborations with social media influencers, and conducting widespread public awareness campaigns.
By the last month, more than 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2.08 lakh IMEI numbers were blocked by authorities on the basis of reports from law enforcement agencies. To combat international fraudsters, the government joined hands with telecom service providers to develop a system that identifies and blocks spoofed Indian phone numbers used in international scam calls.
Massive Financial Losses Prevented
The initiatives of the I4C have also been important in protecting financial resources from cybercrooks. According to Kumar, the authorities have been able to stop scammers from draining over ₹4,386 crore. The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System under the I4C, set up in 2021, has received more than 13.36 lakh complaints to date, which goes on to show how committed the government is to combating cyber fraud on a large scale.
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