Digital Arrest Fraud: Government Ups Crackdown Rhetoric as High-Level Committee Takes Shape after the PM Modi's Directive is Issued
It seems that the Ministry of Home Affairs is wisely acting with a high-level committee that will help fight the issue of digital arrest fraud increasingly plaguing across the nation. The cautionary remark regarding this was recently aired in one of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest Mann Ki Baat programs. There, he directed the constitution of a high-level committee over probe investigations undertaken by various agencies as well as by respective police forces combating the digital arrest fraud.
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The operations of which would closely be overseen by the Home Ministry's Secretary for Internal Security, and it will be spearheaded by the Special Secretary for Internal Security. The Cyber Crime Coordination Center also known as 14C has so far informed the police force in all the states and union territories of the newly formed committee as well as its scope.
The number of cases reported over 6,000 cases this year
More than 6,000 digital arrest cases have been reported nationwide in 2024. More than 600,000 mobile numbers involved in fraud cases, including drug cases and money laundering cases against gullible people, have been blocked by the Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. Additionally, 14C has blocked 709 mobile applications associated with those fraud cases. The bank accounts of at least 325,000 fraud cases connected with those scams have also been frozen.
PM Modi issues warning to citizens about the Digital Arrest Scam
Prime Minister Modi addressed the issue of digital arrest scams in the 115th episode of his Mann Ki Baat program on October 27, reminding citizens to "Pause, Think, and Act" before falling prey to this kind of fraud. First-quarter data for 2024 paints a grim picture with losses of over ₹120 crore from January to April.
46% of the foreign country-related cases: A study conducted by the Cyber Crime Coordination Center at the Ministry looked into cases of digital arrest fraud, which occurred between January and April 2024. Based on the report, this scam amounts to 46% from South Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, amounting to ₹1,776 crore in losses for the Indian citizens.
The formation of this high-level committee and increased inter-agency coordination is a big step toward fighting digital arrest fraud, which the government wants to prevent citizens from falling prey to the increasing cyber threat.