Sanjay Pandita Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 6: In a major push to counter the growing threat of digital arrest scams and cyber frauds, the Central Government, in coordination with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has rolled out a new system to detect and block spoofed international calls that falsely display Indian mobile numbers. These fake calls, often made by overseas fraudsters, have been used to impersonate law enforcement and dupe citizens. Announcing the initiative, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken significant steps to strengthen cybercrime response mechanisms across the country. At the core of this effort is the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which serves as the national nodal agency for combating cybercrime. The I4C oversees the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in), a platform that enables citizens to report online crimes, with special focus on offenses against women and children. Complaints filed on the portal are processed by relevant state and UT police authorities, and many are converted into FIRs under prevailing laws. To tackle financial cybercrime swiftly, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) was introduced in 2021. The system facilitates real-time reporting of fraud, helping to freeze transactions before funds are siphoned off. According to official data, it has helped save more than Rs 5,489 crore across 17.82 lakh complaints so far. A dedicated toll-free helpline, 1930, remains active to assist citizens in lodging cybercrime complaints promptly. In addition, the government has set up a Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) under I4C to strengthen collaboration among banks, payment platforms, telecom operators, IT companies, and law enforcement agencies. The CFMC serves as a hub for swift coordination and intelligence sharing to ensure faster response to cyber threats. Officials emphasized that these efforts mark a significant step toward building a secure digital ecosystem and shielding citizens from rapidly evolving cyber scams. |