New Delhi: As cybercrime continues to escalate across the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs has informed Parliament that incidents of online fraud, phishing and scam calls have seen a sharp rise over the past five years. In response, the government has intensified enforcement efforts and strengthened nationwide coordination to better protect citizens from digital threats.
Responding to a series of questions on cyber frauds in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has compiled state-wise and year-wise data on cybercrime cases, which is available in its “Crime in India” reports.
Detailed figures on arrests, charge-sheeting and conviction rates for cyber-enabled frauds are also maintained, though specific estimates of victim reporting levels are currently not tracked. The minister underlined that policing and public order remain the responsibility of states and union territories.
Govt Initiatives to Combat Cyber Fraud
To strengthen India’s readiness against digital financial crime, the minister highlighted several key interventions:
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): A central hub for nationwide action against cybercriminal networks.
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP): A unified platform for citizens to lodge cybercrime complaints, especially those involving financial frauds or vulnerable victims.
- Cyber Fraud Helpline 1930: Enables quick reporting before syphoned funds are withdrawn.
- Rs 7,130 Crore Saved: Over 23 lakh complaints have been addressed via the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting & Management System since 2021, preventing massive losses.
- Blocking of Fraud Infrastructure: Over 11.14 lakh SIMs and 2.96 lakh IMEIs linked to cybercrime have been disabled.
- Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC): Banks, telecom operators, IT firms and state police units work jointly for real-time interventions.
- National Cyber Forensic Laboratories: Advanced digital forensics support is now available in New Delhi and Assam.
- CyTrain Portal: More than 1.44 lakh police and judicial personnel trained online for cyber investigations.
- Suspect Registry of Cyber Criminals: Mule accounts and identifiers tracked across banks; Rs 8,031 crore worth of suspect transactions declined.
- Data-Driven Tracking via Samanvaya: Techno-legal coordination enabling over 16,800 arrests linked to cyber cases.
Extensive Public Awareness Campaigns Launched
The minister pointed out a multi-platform outreach effort to warn citizens about evolving fraud techniques:
- National caller-tune campaign promoting Helpline 1930 and the NCRP portal.
- Social media campaigns via CyberDost.
- Awareness drives during major public events, including IPL, Kumbh Mela and Surajkund Mela 2025.
- School campaigns, cinema advertisements and initiatives through Prasar Bharati and MyGov.
Insurance Policy for Victims?
On the question of whether the government plans an insurance-based compensation system for cyber fraud victims, the reply did not indicate any such proposal currently in place.
Data Gaps Persist
While case records and enforcement statistics are available, the Ministry acknowledged that India does not yet maintain data on the percentage of victims who report online fraud to authorities, a key indicator of cybercrime visibility.
