83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for Digital Arrest blocked: Home Ministry

 The ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs has identified and blocked more than 83,668 WhatsApp accounts and 3,962 Skype IDs used for Digital Arrest, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

PTI, New Delhi, March 25, 2025 : The law enforcement agencies have blocked over 7.81 lakh SIM cards linked to digital frauds till February 28 this year, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

 

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, replying to a written query, said a total of 2,08,469 IMEIs reported by police authorities have been blocked by the Government of India. The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique number assigned to every phone.

 

In addition, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrest, the minister said.

  

"The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, under the I4C, has been launched in 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and stopping siphoning off funds by fraudsters. So far, around Rs 4,386 crore have been saved in more than 13.36 lakh complaints," Kumar said in the reply.

 

As part of the 14C, a national cybercrime reporting portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched to enable public to report incidents pertaining to all types of digital crimes, with special focus on crimes against women and children, the minister said.

He said the crimes reported on this portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action are handled by law enforcement agencies in the states and Union Territories concerned.

 

The minister said a toll-free helpline number -- 1930 -- has been operationalised to assist in lodging complaints. 

Apart from this, over 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs have been blocked by the Government after receiving police complaints, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

A Digital Arrest is a cybercrime where scammers impersonate law enforcement officials to falsely accuse individuals of crimes and extort money or personal information by threatening arrest or imprisonment.

Since 2021, he said that a Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System for reporting financial frauds and stopping siphoning off funds by fraudsters has saved more than Rs 4,386 crore in more than 13.36 lakh complaints.

Claiming that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not separately compile or publish specific data regarding digital arrest scams, the MoS said the MHA has set up the I4C as an attached office to deal with all types of cyber crimes in the country, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.

Sharing details of avenues for citizens to report digital arrests and other cyber crimes, he said the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, as a part of the I4C, to enable the public to report incidents pertaining to all types of cyber crimes.