Meerut — To counter rising digital fraud, the Government of India has recently deployed a new weapon: the Pratibimb portal. Using this portal, police in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, arrested a man accused of duping people across the country under the guise of providing online loans.
According to police, the accused was wanted in several cases in West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Information recorded on the Pratibimb portal and mobile location tracking led investigators directly to Meerut, where a raid was conducted, and he was apprehended.
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The arrested individual is said to be a resident of Singhawali village in Baghpat district. Along with his associates, he created fake loan apps and social media pages. They used names such as “Shraddha Finance Private Limited” to win people’s trust, then extracted personal details and money from them.
Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada said, “As soon as the mobile location was traced in Meerut through the Pratibimb portal, a team was dispatched, and the accused was arrested.”
The Pratibimb portal has been developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This GPS-based system can map mobile number locations and assist police in tracking cybercriminals.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh believes this is an important step, but only the beginning. According to him, “Nowadays, cybercriminals are scattered across the country and target people through fake companies, mobile numbers, and bank accounts. Portals like Pratibimb will give police a technical advantage, but the real challenge is ensuring that victims report incidents in time and remain alert. Unless complaints are filed quickly, even technology will have a limited impact.”
Although one accused has been arrested, investigators say the entire gang may still be active. Police suspect that other members are still using fake mobile numbers, SIM cards, and documents.
Online fraud cases are rising steadily in India. This arrest is not just a single incident but a sign of a new strategy through which the government and agencies are trying to combat this complex crime.