Central Cybercrime Suspect Registry

GS 3 – INTERNAL SECURITY

India has successfully blocked fraudulent transactions worth ₹1,800 crore within 90 days using the Central Cybercrime Suspect Registry, developed under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed banks to adopt this system for fraud prevention.

Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)

• Establishment: Operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, headquartered in New Delhi.
• Role: Coordinates nationwide efforts to combat cybercrime by working closely with law enforcement and financial institutions.
• Functions:
  • Research and development to address cyber threats.
  • Prevention of cybercrimes, including those exploited by extremist or terrorist groups.

Central Cybercrime Suspect Registry

• Data Source: Compiles data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), containing information on 1.4 million cybercriminals involved in financial fraud.
• Access: The registry is accessible to states, union territories (UTs), central investigation agencies, and financial institutions to enhance risk management and fraud detection.

Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC)

• Launch: Operates within the I4C framework with participation from:
  • Major banks.
  • Financial intermediaries.
  • Payment aggregators.
  • Telecom and IT service providers.
  • Law enforcement agencies from states and UTs.
• Objective: Facilitates immediate response and collaboration across sectors to combat online financial crimes.
• Example of Cooperative Federalism: Demonstrates a unified approach to law enforcement and financial security.
• Achievements:
  • Blocked 8.67 lakh mule accounts used for illicit fund transfers.
  • Disabled 7 lakh SIM cards and 1.4 lakh mobile devices linked to fraud activities.

What are Mule Accounts?

• Fraudulent bank accounts used to transfer and launder illicit funds.