New Delhi: Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has prioritized the establishment of a “Cyber Safe India.”
In a recent development, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), a flagship initiative of MHA, identified and recommended the blocking of over 100 websites engaged in organized investment and task-based part-time job frauds through its vertical National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU). The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), exercising its authority under the Information Technology Act, 2000, promptly took action to block these websites.
Operated by overseas actors, these websites facilitated organized illegal investment-related economic crimes. The illicit operations were conducted through digital advertisements, chat messengers, and the use of mule or rented accounts. Investigations revealed that proceeds from large-scale economic frauds were laundered out of India using card networks, cryptocurrency, overseas ATM withdrawals, and international Fintech companies.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the commitment of M/o Home Affairs to combat cybercrime and safeguard citizens from cyber threat actors. Citizens are encouraged to report phone numbers and social media handles used by fraudsters promptly to the National Cyber Reporting Portal (NCRP) at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Several complaints were received through the 1930 helpline, and the offenses posed significant threats to citizens and raised data security concerns. The fraudulent schemes typically involved targeted digital advertisements, engaging victims through platforms like Google and Meta with keywords like “Ghar baithe job” and “Ghar baidhe kamai kaise karen.” The victims, often retirees, women, and unemployed youth seeking part-time employment, were then duped through a series of deceptive steps.
As a precautionary measure, citizens are advised to exercise due diligence before investing in online schemes promising very high commissions. They should refrain from performing financial transactions on WhatsApp or Telegram without proper verification. Additionally, it is recommended to verify the name of the receiver in UPI Apps and exercise caution in transactions with unknown accounts, as these may be involved in money laundering and terror financing, potentially leading to legal action and account blockages by authorities.