The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that its Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a specialized wing, has identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts involved in digital arrest scams.
According to the MHA, these fraudulent accounts were allegedly used to deceive individuals by impersonating law enforcement officials and coercing victims into transferring money.
Union Minister of State for Home Sanjay Bandi Kumar provided this information on behalf of the MHA while responding to a query from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Tiruchi Siva.
The I4C, in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has launched a caller tune campaign to raise awareness about cybercrime and promote the Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930 and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
“The I4C has proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrest,” the minister mentioned in a written reply.
On high alert against incidents of blackmail and digital arrests by cybercriminals impersonating state and Union Territory police, the NCB, CBI, RBI, and other law enforcement agencies, the minister said the central government has issued a press release regarding the matter.
The minister further pointed out that financial assets worth more than Rs 4,386 crore have been safeguarded in over 13.36 lakh complaints.
A toll-free helpline number, 1930, has been operationalized to assist in lodging online cyber complaints. The minister also stated that the central government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have developed a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls that falsely display Indian mobile numbers, making them appear as though they originate within India. Directions have been issued to TSPs to block such incoming international spoofed calls.
“Till February 28, 2025, more than 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs have been blocked by the Government of India, as reported by police authorities,” the MoS said.
The caller tune is also being broadcast in regional languages, delivered 7-8 times a day by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
To spread awareness about cybercrime, the MoS said the central government has taken several measures, including the dissemination of messages through SMS, I4C social media accounts such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook (CyberDostI4C), Instagram (CyberDostI4C), and Telegram (CyberDostI4C), along with radio campaigns. The government has also engaged MyGov for publicity across multiple platforms, organized Cyber Safety and Security Awareness weeks in collaboration with states and UTs, published a handbook for adolescents and students, and installed digital displays at railway stations and airports.
The National Central Bureau (NCB) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) acts as an effective interface between Indian law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and foreign LEAs, facilitating the regular exchange of information through Interpol channels.
Recently, the BHARATPOL portal was launched to further streamline communication between the NCB, CBI, and Indian LEAs in matters of international assistance and coordination.
The CBI serves as the nodal agency for the G-7 24/7 network, a secure channel for making data preservation requests in cybercrime-related cases. (Agencies)
