Nagpur : In a major move to combat the growing menace of cybercrime, the Union Ministry of Telecommunications is set to disconnect over 2 crore mobile connections that were either obtained through forged documents or misused in cyber-related offenses. This nationwide effort is being bolstered by the Nagpur Cyber Police, who have successfully disconnected approximately 3,500 mobile numbers using the 'Chakshu' portal.

Senior Police Inspector Amit Dolas, of the Nagpur Cyber Police Station, highlighted the increasing frequency of fraudulent calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages, often masked as loan offers, KYC updates, or bank account modifications. "While we continuously educate citizens, cybercriminals evolve their methods, leading to financial losses. Using the 'Chakshu' portal, we have blocked around 3,500 numbers linked to such activities," said Dolas.

The 'Chakshu' portal is part of the larger Sanchar Saathi initiative by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which allows citizens to report suspicious communications, including calls, SMS, or WhatsApp messages related to KYC expiry, banking updates, SIM services, and even sextortion or impersonation scams. This tool empowers citizens to take proactive steps in reporting potential fraud.

For victims of cyber fraud, Dolas emphasized the importance of contacting the cybercrime helpline number 1930 or reporting incidents online via the Government of India’s website, www.cybercrime.gov.in. "Nagpur Cyber Police are always ready to assist citizens who fall victim to these fraudsters," he added.

This effort is part of a broader crackdown by the Central Government to combat cybercrime. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has been working closely with the National Internet Exchange of India to shut down fraudulent websites, resulting in the closure of 379 fake loan sites between October 2023 and May 2024. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) also received 5,252 complaints of suspicious URLs during this period.

Cyber fraud almost every day:

Between January 1 and August 27, 2024, the Cyber Police registered 106 cases of online fraud, translating to a cybercrime nearly every other day.

During these 240 days, cybercriminals managed to steal Rs 35.78 crore through digital fraud. On average, Rs 15 lakh was stolen each day. Despite the significant losses, Nagpur Police have only been able to recover Rs 3.51 crore from fraudsters, highlighting the challenges law enforcement faces in tackling this growing threat.