Wed Dec 04 02:44:11 UTC 2024: ## India Blocks Thousands of Accounts, Saves Billions in Fight Against Cybercrime
**New Delhi, [Date of Publication]** – The Indian government has significantly ramped up its fight against cybercrime, successfully blocking over 1,700 Skype IDs and 59,000 WhatsApp accounts used for digital fraud, according to a Lok Sabha statement released Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar revealed these figures, highlighting the success of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
The I4C’s “Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System,” launched in 2021, has played a crucial role. The system has facilitated the prevention of over Rs 3,431 crore (approximately $412 million USD) in losses across more than 9.94 lakh (994,000) complaints.
Further bolstering its efforts, the government has blocked more than 6.69 lakh SIM cards and 1.32 lakh IMEIs (International Mobile Equipment Identifiers) reported by police as being involved in fraudulent activities, as of November 15, 2024.
To combat the growing threat of spoofed international calls used in scams like fake digital arrests and impersonation of officials, a new system has been developed in collaboration with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to identify and block these calls.
The I4C has also established a state-of-the-art Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), fostering collaboration between banks, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime effectively. Furthermore, a new suspect registry launched on September 10, 2024, allows citizens to search for known cybercriminal identifiers through a “Report and Check Suspect” feature on the cybercrime.gov.in portal. This proactive approach underlines the government’s commitment to protecting citizens from digital fraud.
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