Centre blocks 3,718 fraudulent mobile apps, saves ₹11,158 crore in cyber fraud crackdown
With the rapid digitalisation of financial services, cyber frauds have emerged as a significant challenge, and fraudulent loan apps and other malicious applications have been used to cheat unsuspecting citizens. In a major push against such threats, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that 3,718 mobile applications, including fraudulent loan apps, have been blocked as part of the government's ongoing efforts to curb cyber crime and protect citizens from online fraud.
The action, taken till June 30, 2026, was carried out by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000. In a written reply to a query by BJP Member of Parliament P.C. Mohan, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the apps were blocked under Section 69(A) and Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. He also said that more than 15.75 lakh SIM cards and 5.77 lakh IMEIs, as reported by police authorities, have been blocked by the government.
The minister said the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), operated by I4C and launched in 2021, has been instrumental in preventing financial frauds. "Till June 30, 2026, a financial amount of more than Rs 11,158 crore has been saved in more than 32.80 lakh complaints," he stated. CFCFRMS enables citizens to report financial frauds immediately, allowing law enforcement and banks to act swiftly to prevent siphoning of funds.
To further strengthen the fight against cyber criminals, the I4C launched a suspect registry of cyber criminals' identifiers on September 10, 2024, in collaboration with banks and financial institutions. The minister elaborated that more than 30.48 lakh suspect identifier data received from banks and 32.08 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts have been shared with participating entities of the Suspect Registry. As a result, transactions worth Rs 25,698 crore were declined till June 30, 2026.
The MHA has also issued a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for NCRP-CFCFRMS to improve operational efficiency and ensure uniformity in handling cyber crime complaints. This SOP provides a framework for complaint processing, coordination with banks, grievance redressal, removal of lien markings, and restoration of defrauded funds to victims. The Money Restoration Module and the Grievance Redressal Module have been operational since April 2026, aimed at speedy restoration of defrauded money and addressing issues related to freezing of bank accounts.
On the awareness front, the government has undertaken several campaigns, including SMS and caller tune campaigns, social media outreach through CyberDost accounts, television and radio campaigns, school programmes, cinema advertisements, celebrity endorsements, IPL campaigns, and cyber safety awareness weeks in coordination with states and union territories.
The I4C was established by the MHA as an attached office to deal with all types of cyber crimes in a coordinated manner. It operates the National Cyber Reporting Platform (NCRP), which enables citizens to report cyber crime incidents, with a special focus on crimes against women and children. Additionally, the 'Sahyog' portal was launched to facilitate faster action against unlawful online content by enabling notices to IT intermediaries under the Information Technology Act.
These measures reflect the government's commitment to safeguarding citizens' digital and financial security, officials said.
