Amit Shah Calls for Coordinated Action to Tackle Cyber Frauds, Inaugurates New CBI Cybercrime Branch

New Delhi, February 10: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Tuesday called for stronger coordination among agencies to combat cyber-enabled frauds, stating that cyber security has now become an integral part of national security.

Addressing the National Conference on “Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds & Dismantling the Ecosystem” in New Delhi, Shah inaugurated the new Cybercrime Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and launched the State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (S4C) dashboard of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He said multiple agencies including I4C, State Police forces, CBI, NIA, Enforcement Directorate, Department of Telecommunications, RBI, MeitY, banking institutions and the judiciary are working in coordination to prevent and reduce cybercrimes.

Highlighting India’s digital growth under the Digital India initiative, Shah said the country now has over 100 crore internet users compared to 25 crore eleven years ago. Broadband connections have increased nearly sixteen-fold, while the cost of one GB of data has reduced by 97 percent.

He noted that in 2024 alone, India recorded over 181 billion UPI transactions worth more than ₹233 trillion, adding that every second digital transaction in the world is happening in India. With more than 57 crore Jan Dhan accounts and large-scale Direct Benefit Transfers exceeding ₹48 lakh crore, India is rapidly moving towards becoming a “cyber success society,” he said.

The Home Minister emphasized that securing digital transactions is the government’s highest priority. He revealed that through 3.61 lakh cyber fraud complaints, authorities have successfully safeguarded ₹8,189 crore out of an estimated ₹20,000 crore involved in fraud cases. He congratulated I4C, CBI and related agencies for this achievement.

Shah said that till December 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs had cancelled over 12 lakh suspicious SIM cards, blocked IMEI numbers of more than 3 lakh mobile devices and arrested 20,853 accused in cybercrime cases.

He urged police units across the country to ensure sufficient call handlers at the 1930 cybercrime helpline, warning that delays in answering calls could result in victims losing their money. He also asked all banks — including private, public and cooperative institutions — to adopt the Mule Account Hunter software developed jointly by the Government of India and the RBI to curb misuse of bank accounts in cyber frauds.

Shah informed that 62 banks and financial institutions have already been onboarded with I4C, and the government aims to include all banking institutions, including cooperative banks, by December 2026. Currently, 795 institutions including banks, fintech firms, NBFCs and e-commerce platforms are connected with I4C.

He stressed that cybercrime has evolved from isolated incidents to organized and institutionalized operations using advanced technologies. Calling for nationwide awareness and strong coordination, Shah said real-time reporting, forensic strengthening, capacity building, research and cyber hygiene are key pillars of the government’s strategy.

On the occasion, the Home Minister also presented medals for distinguished and meritorious service to several CBI officers during an investiture ceremony.

The two-day conference, organized by the CBI in collaboration with I4C, witnessed participation from 362 delegates representing state police units, central agencies, banks, telecom providers, cooperative banks, fintech companies and regulatory bodies. The event was also broadcast live to over 2,356 locations nationwide to ensure wider institutional engagement. (PIB)