Over 83k WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrest blocked: Home Ministry

The Indian government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has successfully blocked more than 83,668 WhatsApp accounts and 3,962 Skype IDs linked to cybercrimes, particularly those associated with the growing issue of "Digital Arrest."

This was revealed by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Digital Arrest is a form of cybercrime in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials, falsely accusing individuals of criminal activity and extorting money or personal information by threatening arrest or imprisonment.

In addition to the blocking of these communication channels, the MHA has also taken swift action to block over 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs following police complaints.

Kumar further informed that the government's initiative, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, launched in 2021, has been instrumental in preventing financial losses. The system has already saved over Rs 4,386 crore in more than 13.36 lakh complaints, preventing fraudsters from siphoning off funds.

However, it was clarified that while the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) tracks cybercrime data, it does not specifically compile statistics on digital arrest scams.

To tackle these and other cybercrimes comprehensively, the MHA has set up the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), an initiative designed to provide a coordinated response to cyber threats across the country.

As part of the efforts to make the public more aware of digital arrests and other cybercrimes, the government has rolled out several awareness campaigns. These include advertisements in newspapers, announcements in Delhi Metro stations, the use of social media influencers, and campaigns through Prasar Bharati (PB) and Aakashvani.

Additionally, citizens can now report cybercrimes through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in/), which serves as a central hub for lodging complaints.

For financial frauds, the toll-free helpline number 1930 has been operationalized to assist in lodging online complaints, allowing for swift action to protect citizens from cybercriminal activities.

Also Read: Understanding the "digital arrest" scam: What is it and how can you protect yourself?