The Union Home Ministry said more than
100 websites that were being operated from overseas and involved in organised
illegal investments and part-time job frauds have been blocked.
These websites were identified and
recommended for blocking by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), an
initiative of the Home Ministry aimed at addressing cybercrimes in a
coordinated and comprehensive manner through its National Cybercrime Threat
Analytics Unit (NCTAU), said an official spokesperson.
Building a “Cyber Safe India” is the
topmost priority under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the
guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the spokesperson said.
These frauds typically involve targeted
digital advertisements using keywords like “ghar baithe job” (Do jobs sitting
at home) and “ghar baithe kamai kaise karen” (how to earn while sitting at
home) in multiple languages.
The targets are often retired employees,
women and unemployed youth seeking part-time jobs with whom the fraudsters
engage through WhatsApp or Telegram, convincing them to perform tasks such as
liking and subscribing to videos or rating maps.
Victims are initially given a commission
and then persuaded to invest more for higher returns. Once the victims deposit
larger sums of money, their deposits are frozen, resulting in them being
deceived, said the spokesperson.
To combat cybercrime and protect
citizens from threat actors, the Home Ministry urges people to promptly report
phone numbers and social media handles used by fraudsters to the National
Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
Several complaints have already been
received through the helpline and NCRP as these offences pose a significant
threat to citizens and raise data security concerns.
The Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) invoked its power under the Information
Technology Act, 2000 to block these websites, who facilitated organised illegal
investments and part-time job frauds, and they were found to be using digital
advertisements, chat messengers, and rented accounts.
The proceeds from these economic frauds
were being laundered out of India through methods such as card networks, crypto
currency, overseas ATM withdrawals, and international Fintech companies.
The authorities advised people to
exercise caution and due diligence before investing in online schemes that
promise very high commissions.
“If an unknown person contacts you via
WhatsApp or Telegram, refrain from engaging in financial transactions without
verification. Verify the name of the receiver mentioned in the UPI App, as
random recipients may indicate a fraudulent scheme involving a mule account.
Also, check the source of the initial commission received,” the spokesperson
said.
Avoid transactions with unknown accounts
as they may be involved in money laundering or even terror financing,
potentially leading to account blocking by the police and legal action, the
spokesperson advised people.
People were advised to stay vigilant and
report any suspicious activities to ensure a safer digital environment.
PTI
