New Delhi, April 28
The Centre has informed the Supreme Court about a coordinated multi-agency effort to curb digital arrest scams, stating that messaging platform WhatsApp has banned 9,400 accounts linked to such offences. The update was submitted as part of a status report on rising cyber fraud cases.
The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs placed the report before the court, outlining measures taken by stakeholders, including the Reserve Bank of India, Department of Telecommunications and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
According to the report, WhatsApp conducted a targeted probe into scam networks and introduced steps to detect misuse of official logos and to flag calls from newly created accounts. Further safeguards are being developed to prevent impersonation and misuse of authority symbols.
The Department of Telecommunications and telecom service providers have agreed to act quickly against fraudulent SIM cards, with efforts to block suspicious numbers within hours of detection. The report also referred to a proposed biometric identity verification system to improve the monitoring of SIM issuance.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has fixed a threshold for taking over major cases and has already taken up key investigations involving large-scale financial fraud. Banks have been directed to place temporary holds on suspicious transactions to prevent further losses. The Centre has sought further directions from the Supreme Court to ensure effective implementation of these measures and strengthen coordination among agencies to tackle cybercrime.
