The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has joined forces with Amazon India to launch #ScamSmartIndia. The campaign, unveiled in Hyderabad, aims to equip citizens with tools to recognize, prevent, and report scams that spike during India’s festive shopping season.
The collaboration highlights a pressing challenge: according to a recent report, more than half of all fraud cases in India are now cyber-enabled, making scam literacy a national priority.
Targeting the Crime Economy Behind Festive Scams
Officials said cybercriminals increasingly exploit festive shopping surges to target vulnerable groups such as first-time internet users and senior citizens. Fraudsters often masquerade as e-commerce representatives, misuse brand names, and push phishing links that lead to data theft, unauthorized transactions, and identity fraud.
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Nishant Kumar, Director of I4C, stressed the urgency:
“The festive season is a time of heightened fraudulent activity. By educating consumers, especially those new to digital shopping, we can help prevent financial crime and safeguard trust.”
Campaign Mechanics: Literacy at the Grassroots
The #ScamSmartIndia initiative will roll out both online and offline interventions:
- Social media advisories that break down fraud tactics into simplified safety tips.
- Digital ads and awareness flyers included with Amazon deliveries to reach rural and semi-urban customers.
- Weekly multilingual safety tips under the campaign’s “Scam-Free September” phase.
- A nationwide hackathon to develop AI-driven scam detection solutions.
These measures are designed to cut across language and literacy barriers, ensuring crime prevention messaging reaches diverse demographics.
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Rakesh Bakshi, Vice President – Legal at Amazon India, emphasized the broader implications of cyber fraud:
“When scammers misuse the names of trusted brands, they not only hurt businesses but also corrode confidence in the digital economy. Through this partnership with I4C, we aim to empower shoppers with the knowledge to recognize and reject scams.”
Amazon’s role in the campaign builds on its existing safety workshops and collaborations with industry bodies, which focus on safe digital shopping practices.
The Bigger Picture
The government has already identified 272 districts across India as cybercrime hotspots, underscoring the scale of the challenge. With online shopping and digital payments accelerating, officials believe crime prevention must move beyond enforcement to education and early detection.
The #ScamSmartIndia campaign aims to bridge that gap, placing crime prevention knowledge directly in the hands of consumers before fraudsters can strike.
