New Delhi: The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has launched a new digital awareness initiative featuring ‘Chaukanni Chachi’, a relatable and alert digital character created to help citizens understand cyber fraud and adopt safer online habits.
The campaign will use short videos, social media content and interactive formats to explain common cybercrime tactics in simple language. The idea is to move cyber safety communication beyond formal advisories and make it easier for ordinary internet users to recognise fraud attempts before they lose money or sensitive personal information.
Registration Begins for FutureCrime Summit 2026, India’s Largest Cybercrime Conference
‘Chaukanni Chachi’ has been designed as a trusted digital guide who will speak to citizens in a familiar and culturally rooted style. Through the campaign, she will explain warning signs of online scams, share preventive tips, and encourage people to report suspicious activity through official channels.
The character is portrayed by Bhagyashree Tak, popularly known as RJ Purkhaa, a digital content creator and former radio presenter. Her voice and public-facing communication style are expected to make the campaign more engaging, especially for audiences who may not follow traditional government advisories.
The initiative will be promoted through CyberDost, the official cyber safety awareness handle of I4C. CyberDost regularly shares cyber safety videos, alerts and tips on threats such as phishing, online fraud, fake investment schemes, cyberbullying, digital arrest scams and other emerging cyber risks. The official CyberDost channel also directs citizens to report cybercrime through the national helpline 1930 or the cybercrime portal.
CyberDost, I4C, MHA presents “Chaukanni Chachi”.
Ek cyber awareness character jo har hafte naye cyber scams, online fraud tactics aur digital safety tips ko simple aur relatable andaaz mein samjhayengi.
Shaadi, pyaar aur “foreign doctor” ki perfect story…ya phir perfectly… pic.twitter.com/ee0eLpwZ7H
— CyberDost I4C (@Cyberdost) May 13, 2026
I4C has been set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs as the national nodal point to deal with cybercrime in a coordinated manner. Its role includes supporting law enforcement agencies, strengthening cybercrime investigation capacity and running nationwide awareness programmes.
The launch comes at a time when cyber frauds in India are becoming more sophisticated and socially engineered. Fraudsters are increasingly using fake investment offers, impersonation calls, malicious links, fake customer care numbers, social media traps, and “digital arrest” threats to target victims. Many of these scams succeed not because users lack technology, but because they are pressured, misled or emotionally manipulated.
This is where a character-led campaign like ‘Chaukanni Chachi’ could play an important role. By using everyday language and familiar storytelling, the campaign aims to help people pause before clicking links, sharing OTPs, transferring money, scanning QR codes, or trusting unknown callers claiming to be from banks, courier firms, police, government departments or investment platforms.
Citizens can report cybercrime through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which allows users to file complaints online, upload evidence and track the status of complaints. The portal covers different types of cybercrime, including online financial fraud, identity theft, hacking and cyber offences against women and children.
I4C has also enabled a quick reporting facility for suspicious website URLs, WhatsApp or Telegram handles, phone numbers, email IDs, SMS headers and social media URLs. According to the portal, these details help build a repository for analysis and monitoring of cybercrime indicators.
The new campaign is part of I4C’s larger public awareness and capacity-building efforts. Over the past few years, the agency has conducted workshops, training sessions and digital campaigns for students, educators, police personnel, senior citizens, industry stakeholders and community groups. I4C’s awareness section also features cyber hygiene posts, videos and GIFs on threats such as phishing, ransomware, card fraud, job fraud and property fraud.
With ‘Chaukanni Chachi’, I4C is attempting to make cyber safety a daily conversation rather than a one-time warning. The campaign’s core message is simple: stay alert, verify before acting, do not share sensitive information, and report cybercrime immediately through official channels.
Safety Box: What Citizens Should Remember
Never share OTPs, passwords, PINs or banking details with anyone. Do not click unknown links or download suspicious apps. Verify investment offers, job offers, courier calls and police-related claims through official sources. In case of cyber financial fraud, call 1930 immediately and file a complaint on the official cybercrime portal.
