By Ashwani Mishra, Editor-Technology, 63SATS
India is grappling with an alarming surge in cybercrime, prompting swift action from the Union government to bolster digital security infrastructure and law enforcement capabilities.
Recent updates presented in the Lok Sabha and highlighted in national crime data paint a revealing picture of how rapidly digital threats are evolving and how the government is racing to respond.
Crackdown on Digital Fraud
As of February 28, 2025, Indian law enforcement agencies have blocked over 7.81 lakh SIM cards linked to digital fraud activities. This is part of a broader effort to dismantle the infrastructure used by cybercriminals to carry out scams, impersonation, and financial frauds.
In tandem, the government has also blocked 2,08,469 IMEIs — the International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers that uniquely identify mobile devices — reported by police authorities across the country.
The crackdown extends beyond just phone numbers and devices. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has also targeted digital communication platforms often misused by cybercriminals. This includes the proactive blocking of 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts, many of which were involved in notorious “digital arrest” scams, where fraudsters impersonate government or law enforcement officials to extort money.
These measures signal a significant shift in India’s digital policing — from reactive complaint-handling to proactive detection and disruption of cybercriminal networks.
Financial Safeguards and Public Support
To empower citizens in this fight against online fraud, the Ministry of Home Affairs launched the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System in 2021. This platform is designed to enable immediate reporting of financial cyber frauds and facilitate quick action to intercept stolen funds. To date, it has helped recover approximately ₹4,386 crore across more than 13.36 lakh complaints, reflecting both the scale of the threat and the success of the initiative.
Complementing this system is the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in), which allows users to report a wide range of digital crimes, including those targeting women and children. Reports submitted through this portal are forwarded to relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and filing of FIRs. To ease access, a toll-free helpline number 1930 has also been activated to guide victims through the complaint process.
Alarming Rise in Cybercrime
Despite these measures, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) highlights the growing challenge India faces in cyberspace. Cybercrime incidents have risen dramatically — from 21,796 cases in 2017 to 50,035 in 2020, marking a 129% increase in just three years. The jump from 44,735 cases in 2019 to 50,035 in 2020 alone represents an 11.8% year-over-year spike.
In 2020, fraud dominated the cybercrime landscape, accounting for 60.2% of cases (30,142 incidents), followed by sexual exploitation at 6.6% (3,293 cases) and extortion at 4.9% (2,440 cases). The crime rate per lakh population also increased from 3.3 in 2019 to 3.7 in 2020.
The rise is not just in numbers, but also in the sophistication of attacks. The parliamentary committee examining these figures expressed concern over cybercriminals deploying novel tactics and evolving their modus operandi to exploit digital vulnerabilities, target citizens, and outpace traditional policing methods.
Structural Gaps and Call for Reforms
One of the most pressing concerns highlighted by the committee is the uneven distribution of cyber policing resources across states.
Shockingly, some states — including Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, and Assam — do not yet have dedicated cyber crime cells, leaving significant gaps in regional digital defense.
The committee has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to work closely with state governments to establish cyber cells in every district, especially in areas identified as cybercrime hotspots. This granular approach could significantly enhance detection, reporting, and prevention of digital crimes.
In addition, the committee has recommended upgrading existing cyber units with specialized capabilities such as dark web monitoring and social media surveillance — tools critical for tracking illegal online activities, from phishing and fraud to trafficking and radicalization.
Recognizing the technical nature of modern cyber threats, the panel also emphasized the need for a new recruitment model. It proposed the induction of technical professionals — cybersecurity analysts, ethical hackers, digital forensic experts — into police forces, alongside traditional law enforcement officers. This hybrid model could bridge the capability gap and ensure a more agile response to complex cyber incidents.
The Road Ahead
India’s digital transformation has opened up new avenues for growth and innovation, but it has also exposed citizens to unprecedented levels of risk.
The government’s response — including mass SIM and IMEI blocking, proactive takedowns of suspicious accounts, robust financial fraud systems, and centralized reporting mechanisms — marks a commendable start.
However, with cybercrime becoming increasingly systemic, the solution must be equally systemic: an empowered law enforcement apparatus, cross-state coordination, advanced threat detection, and citizen awareness. The fusion of policy, policing, and technology will be key to winning the battle in cyberspace.
