India launches online 'suspect registry', 1.4 mn listed for financial fraud

Around 4.78 million cyber complaints involving 171.3 million victims have been filed to date, including cases of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with 17,000 FIRs registered for CSAM-related crimes

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched an online ‘suspect registry’ this week, containing data on 1.4 million cybercriminals linked to financial fraud and various cybercrimes. The registry is accessible to states, Union Territories, as well as central investigation and intelligence agencies, and has been developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
 

The initiative, in collaboration with banks and financial intermediaries, aims to enhance the fraud risk management capabilities of the country’s financial system, officials said.

The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) is receiving an average of 67,000 daily calls from citizens reporting cyber fraud, according to I4C Chief Executive Rajesh Kumar. Since its inception in 2021, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has managed to recover Rs 2,800 crore defrauded from around 850,000 victims, Kumar said.
 

To date, approx 4.78 million cyber complaints have been filed on the portal, involving 171.3 million victims. The complaints include cases of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), with 17,000 first information reports (FIRs) registered in connection with CSAM cases. The I4C has also provided over 10,767 forensic services to support states and union territories, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Surge in cybercrime cases

The I4C, a specialised body established under the Ministry of Home Affairs, aims to create a cohesive framework for law enforcement agencies to tackle cybercrime effectively. The number of cybercrime cases has dramatically surged from 2019 to 2024, with 4.78 million complaints filed as of August 31. This represents a sharp rise from 1.56 million in 2023, 966,790 in 2022, 452,414 in 2021, 257,777 in 2020, and 26,049 in 2019, the report said.
 

The report quoted an official as saying that over 85 per cent of these complaints pertain to financial fraud. Many victims fell prey to schemes like online investment fraud, gaming app scams, algorithm manipulation, illegal lending apps, sextortion, and OTP forwarding. The rise in sophisticated cyber threats necessitates a coordinated effort to combat this growing menace.

[With agency inputs]