Over 7 Lakh SIMs, 83K WhatsApp Accounts Blocked Till February: Govt

In its fight against digital frauds and cybercrimes, the Centre has blocked over 7.81 Lakh SIM cards and more than 2.08 Lakh IMEIs (International Mobile Equipment Identity) till February 28. 

Replying to a written question in the Lok Sabha yesterday, union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrests.

“The Central Government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers that appear to be originating within India. Directions have been issued to the TSPs for blocking such incoming international spoofed calls,” Sanjay Kumar said in his response. 

Earlier this month, Sanjay Kumar informed the Parliament that Indians lost INR 1,935.51 Cr to digital arrest scams in 2024.

Role Of MHA’s I4C: Operating under the aegis of the Home Ministry, I4C plays a crucial role in the immediate reporting of financial frauds and preventing the siphoning of funds by fraudsters.

Established in 2020, I4C also oversees the 2021-launched Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, which has helped prevent fraudsters from siphoning off around INR 4,386 Cr. The initiative has also handled over 13.36 lakh complaints related to financial fraud.

Recently, MHA under I4C launched a national cybercrime reporting portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) and a national cybercrime helpline number (1903) to allow citizens to report various types of digital crimes, with a strong focus on crimes against women and children. 

Kumar’s response comes at a time when both Indian government institutions and private players are facing a volley of cyber attacks. 

Surge In Online Frauds In India: As per RBI disclosure for FY24, online frauds in the country surged 334% year-on-year (YoY) to 29,082 in FY24 from 6,699 in FY23.

Meanwhile, the country lost INR 177.05 Cr to cyber frauds in FY24, more than double compared to INR 69.68 Cr in FY23.

Meanwhile, the MoS for finance Pankaj Chaudhary responded earlier in Lok Sabha that Indians lost INR 107.21 Cr to cyber frauds in the first nine months of the ongoing financial year 2024-25 (FY25).

Measures Taken To Curb Online Frauds: The government, alongside regulatory authorities like the RBI, have taken several measures to crack down on online fraud. These measures include awareness campaigns, blocking scammers, a reporting mechanism, and I4C deployed initiatives. 

Earlier this month, the DoT launched Sanchar Saathi mobile application, expanding its existing digital security initiative. It was also reported to be teaming up with SBI and some telcos to develop a solution to alert about stolen one-time passwords (OTP) to combat phishing attacks. 

Last year, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced a digital intelligence platform and the “Chakshu” facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal to report suspected fraudulent communications.

Previously, the Centre held deliberations with fintech startups and law enforcement agencies to collaborate and address challenges related to digital financial fraud. Razorpay also collaborated with MHA to strengthen India’s digital payments security ecosystem.

While SEBI issued an advisory warning investors about fraudulent trading platforms last year, the RBI also announced plans to establish the Digital India Trust Agency.