The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reported that cybercriminals in India have defrauded victims of approximately Rs 2,140 crore within the first ten months of this year. According to the ministry’s cyber wing, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), these scammers impersonated officials from top Indian agencies, such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Police, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to deceive people into transferring money to overseas accounts. On average, Rs 214 crore is lost monthly to these schemes.
The I4C’s report highlights that many call centers orchestrating these “digital arrest scams” are operating from countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Notably, these scam centers are frequently located in Chinese-owned casinos in Cambodia, which are also associated with cyber slavery concerns. Although the core operations of these scams are based abroad, around 30-40% of these fraudulent activities have links to India, with local centers actively aiding in the scams.
Since January 2024, over 92,000 incidents of digital arrest fraud have occurred, where victims are tricked into believing they face severe consequences unless they quickly transfer funds. The MHA, alongside the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), has since issued multiple advisories urging people to report incidents through the emergency helpline 1930, emphasizing that prompt reporting can aid in fund recovery. The issue gained further attention when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed it in his October “Mann Ki Baat” radio episode.
Post Your Comments