275K numbers disconnected, Rs 4000 cr fraud prevented: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Scindia emphasised the efforts of the Home Ministry in setting up a network to tackle cyber fraud which had helped to prevent fraud worth Rs 4,000 crore

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday highlighted various measures taken by the government to address cyber fraud and telecom security concerns, stating that many measures were taken to protect users from harmful entities in the digital and telecom sectors.

In an interview with ANI, the Union Minister for Communications spoke about progress in the telecom sector in India.

He emphasised the efforts of the Home Ministry in setting up a network to tackle cyber fraud which had helped to prevent fraud worth Rs 4,000 crore. He also said that the telecom sector has established an app to tackle fraud, leading to the disconnection of 275,000 phone numbers.

"We have also taken many such steps to stop such harmful entities," the Communications Minister said.

"Home Ministry also established a cyber fraud network...And because of it, fraud worth Rs 4000 crore has been prevented. Nearly 10 lakh public money was saved because of it...The telecom sector has also established its app for it, and based on it, we have disconnected 2.75 lakh mobile phones and have blacklisted 10,000 headers," he said.

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs set up the 'Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre' (I4C) as an attached office to deal with all types of cybercrimes in the country, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.

To address the issue of international numbers entering the Indian network, Scindia said that caller identification software has been developed, which has led to the blocking of 250-300 million calls in the last two months.

"We have also established a caller identification software as there are many people who enter the Indian network through international numbers... Based on the software, we have blocked 13,500,000 calls in one day, and in the last two months we have blocked 250-300 million calls with the help of the software," Scindia said.

The Minister, however, also acknowledged that with every new technology, along with benefits there is also the potential for misuse. He said that the government is actively working to combat these threats through various initiatives.

Being asked how the issue of fraud calls be resolved, Scindia said, "It can't be closed."

"With every new technology comes huge dividends, which every human being takes advantage of. But along with this, also comes the possibility of people using it in nefarious ways and incorrect or wrong ways...The scope is forever there, and with technology, the scope is still there. We have tried to stop this and raise awareness of it. Even the Prime Minister has spoken about it," he further said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed concern over the potential threats from digital frauds, cyber-crimes and AI technology.

During his 'Mann Ki Baat' address, PM Modi warned the public about rising cases of 'digital arrest' and urged people to stay alert for such frauds, emphasising that no agency conducts inquiries over phone or video calls.

Several fraudsters impersonate as law enforcement officials to intimidate victims and extort money. The situation is called 'digital arrest'.