Policy Watch
What is Suspect Registry? Inside MHA’s Online Database of 14 Lakh Cybercriminals
India’s new online “suspect registry” enlists 1.4 million cybercriminals involved in financial fraud, as part of a broader effort to curb rising cybercrime. Launched by Home Minister Amit Shah, the registry will enhance fraud detection in collaboration with financial institutions, as India sees a dramatic surge in cybercrime complaints, exceeding 4.78 million to date.
In a significant step to curb cybercrime, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched an online “suspect registry” that includes data on 1.4 million cybercriminals involved in financial fraud and various other cybercrimes. The registry, developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), will serve as a critical tool accessible to states, Union Territories, and central investigative agencies. The objective of this initiative is to aid law enforcement in tackling the growing menace of cybercrime more effectively.
The registry has been developed with the collaboration of banks and financial intermediaries to strengthen the country’s fraud risk management framework. This online system is expected to enhance the ability of financial institutions to detect and prevent fraudulent activities at an early stage.
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal’s Impact
The launch of the registry comes at a time when the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) is receiving a staggering 67,000 daily calls from citizens reporting cyber fraud. According to Rajesh Kumar, Chief Executive of I4C, since its inception in 2021, I4C has managed to recover over Rs. 2,800 crore from cybercriminals, benefiting more than 850,000 victims.
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To date, approximately 4.78 million cyber complaints have been lodged, impacting over 171 million victims. This includes complaints related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), with 17,000 FIRs filed specifically for CSAM-related offenses. In addition, I4C has also provided over 10,767 forensic services to states and Union Territories to support investigations.
Steep Rise in Cybercrime Cases
The rapid rise in cybercrime complaints, especially from 2019 to 2024, is alarming. As of August 31, 2024, 4.78 million complaints have been registered. This represents a significant surge from 1.56 million in 2023, 966,790 in 2022, 452,414 in 2021, and 26,049 in 2019.
According to official sources, more than 85% of these cases pertain to financial fraud. Victims often fall prey to scams related to online investment fraud, gaming app fraud, algorithm manipulation, illegal lending apps, sextortion, and OTP forwarding. This rise in complex and sophisticated cyber threats demands a more coordinated effort from law enforcement and the financial sector to address this escalating problem.
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