Side B of Social Media: Cybercriminals Are Stealing

Social media has become an important and essential part of daily lives for many Indians. We use them to connect, share, and communicate, but what if these platforms are also being used to commit crimes instead of just being spaces for fun? Yes, you heard it right. While we enjoy the benefits of platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, many cybercriminals exploit them to cheat, steal, and manipulate people.

Numbers are Everything!

According to the Union Home Ministry (MHA) report, WhatsApp is the number one platform misused by cyber criminals in India. Over 37,890 complaints were related to WhatsApp by 2024. This vast number shows how these platforms are a hotspot for fraud. Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube follow, with 17,651, 11,152, 9,051, and 4,135 complaints respectively. These figures raise concerns about the safety of users on these platforms.

Private X Public Against Cybercriminals

The Ministry has pointed out that big tech companies like Google and Facebook must be essential in proactively identifying and tackling cyber criminals. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) works closely with these companies to share intelligence and take necessary steps to prevent misuse. They analyse complaints and prepare reports on the latest cybercrime trends. These reports are shared with stakeholders such as banks, payment aggregators, and e-commerce platforms to help prevent crimes and protect users.

What’s more?

The government of India introduced a Cyber Volunteer Framework, encouraging citizens to sign up as volunteers to help report unlawful content online. By 2024, over 94,000 volunteers had joined, working alongside law enforcement to combat Cybercrime. The Ministry has also rolled out the Citizen Financial Cyber Frauds Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS). This is an integrated platform where law enforcement, financial institutions, and other stakeholders work together to prevent cyber fraud. This system has already helped save over INR 16 billion from falling into the hands of fraudsters, benefiting more than 5.7 lakh victims.

Irreparable damage that could not be prevented from Cybercriminals

But even with all these efforts, the damage caused by Cybercrime is still overwhelming. In the first nine months of 2024 alone, India lost approximately INR 11,333 crore due to cyber fraud. Stock trading scams took the largest share, causing a loss of INR 4,636 crore from over 2.2 lakh complaints. Investment-based scams followed closely, with losses of INR 3,216 crore from 1 lakh complaints. Other types of fraud, like digital arrests and sextortion, have also taken a heavy toll on innocent people.

It’s disturbing that most of these frauds were committed by cyber criminals operating from Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

The report from I4C shows that nearly half of the complaints were linked to fraudsters from these countries. These frauds mainly include online investment fraud, illegal lending apps, gaming scams, OTP frauds, and sextortion, all of which target vulnerable individuals who may not be aware of the risks involved.

The Role of I4C – Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre 

Their vision is to create a safer cyberspace for the citizens of India by creating an effective framework and ecosystem for the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of Cybercrime. The I4C is actively collaborating with regulatory bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India and many fintech companies to address issues like misuse of mule accounts and telecom infrastructure. They are also blocking fraudulent accounts, advertisements and SIM cards. However, with Cybercrime becoming more sophisticated, all of us must stay vigilant and informed about how to protect ourselves.

Objectives of I4C

• It acts as a nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country.
• To strengthen the fight against Cybercrime committed against women and children.
• Facilitate easy filing of cybercrime-related complaints and identify Cybercrime trends and patterns.
• To act as an early warning system for Law Enforcement Agencies for proactive Cybercrime prevention and detection.
• Awareness creation among the public about preventing Cybercrime.
• Assist States/UTs in capacity building of Police Officers, Public Prosecutors and Judicial Officers in the area of cyber forensics, investigation, cyber hygiene, cyber-criminology, etc.

Awareness is the Answer

So, what can we do as social media users? We should understand the risks of using social media platforms and be cautious while sharing personal information online. We should also stay updated on the latest frauds and scams, report suspicious activity, and, most importantly, follow basic online security practices. Follow us for more such insights!

Cybercrime is a serious issue, and as technology evolves, cybercriminals’ tactics keep shifting. It’s not just a problem for tech experts or law enforcement but for everyone. By staying informed and working together, we can reduce the impact of these crimes and ensure that social media remains a safe space for everyone.

Stay safe, stay aware, and always think twice before clicking. The digital world is vast, but with the right knowledge, we all can make it safer.

Read our follow-up article on how to avoid Cybercrime in India Here!