NEW DELHI: In response to the growing number of cybercrimes in India, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has identified and blocked over 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts involved in digital arrest scams.
Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Sanjay Bandi Kumar, shared this information in a written reply to a question raised by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva.
Kumar explained that these fraudulent accounts were being used to deceive individuals by impersonating law enforcement officials and coercing victims into transferring money.
The I4C, in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has also launched a caller tune campaign to raise awareness about cybercrime. The campaign promotes the Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930 and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
Kumar stated that the I4C has proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts involved in digital arrests.
The government has raised an alert against cybercriminals impersonating police from various states and Union Territories, as well as agencies like the NCB, CBI, and RBI.
These criminals engage in blackmail and digital arrest scams. An official media statement has been issued regarding this issue.
Additionally, the minister informed the House that financial assets worth over Rs 4,386 crore have been safeguarded and retrieved.
Over 13.36 lakh complaints have been acted upon. The toll-free helpline number, 1930, has been made operational to assist with lodging online cybercrime complaints.
He also mentioned that the government, in coordination with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has developed a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls.
These calls falsely display Indian mobile numbers, making them appear as if they originate within the country. TSPs have been directed to block such incoming spoofed calls.
As of February 28, 2025, over 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs have been blocked, as reported by police authorities.
Regarding the rising number of cybercrime cases, the MoS provided the following data:
2022: 39,925 cases recorded, with losses totaling Rs 91.14 crore.
2023: 60,676 cases recorded, with losses of Rs 339.03 crore.
2024: 123,672 cases recorded, resulting in losses of Rs 1,935.51 crore.
2025 (up to February): 17,718 cases registered, with losses amounting to Rs 210.21 crore.
