Cybercriminals have illicitly siphoned off more than Rs 10,300 crore from India since April 1, 2021, with approximately Rs 1,127 crore successfully blocked by authorities, according to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). I4C CEO Rajesh Kumar revealed that over 5,000 cybercrime complaints are being reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), with 40-50% linked to frauds perpetrated by gangs operating from China, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Kumar clarified that he wasn’t referring to “nation-states” but rather criminal gangs operating from these countries. The I4C, established by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is working to coordinate and address cybercrime in India effectively.
In 2021, over 4.52 lakh cybercrime cases were reported on the NCRP, rising by 113.7% in 2022 to reach 9.66 lakh cases. Rajesh Kumar stated that the growth rate decelerated to 60.9% in 2023, with 15.56 lakh cases reported. The cybercrime losses in India from April 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023, amounted to Rs 10,319 crore, of which Rs 1,127 crore was successfully blocked, and 9-10% was restored to victims’ accounts. Kumar highlighted ongoing efforts to simplify the process of restoring victims’ money through new Standard Operating Procedures. The I4C CEO also emphasized trends in cybercriminal activities, such as sextortion, online booking scams, OLX-related crimes, and various financial frauds. Notably, the I4C successfully thwarted a major cyber attack on the G-20 website and played a role in repatriating citizens from Myanmar involved in cyber frauds. The use of software like ‘Pratibimb’ has aided state police forces in locating cybercriminals and resulted in significant arrests and blockages of SIM cards, websites, mobile applications, and IMEI numbers. Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha have emerged as hotspots for procuring SIMs for cybercriminal activities.
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