New Delhi: The Centre has blocked 3,718 mobile applications, including fraudulent loan apps, as part of a nationwide effort to curb cybercrime and protect citizens from online financial scams.
The Ministry of Home Affairs informed Parliament that the action was taken up to June 30, 2026, through the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under provisions of the Information Technology Act.
The government also reported that more than Rs 11,158 crore has been prevented from being siphoned off by cybercriminals through the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System. The platform has handled over 32.80 lakh complaints since its launch, helping authorities intervene quickly in cases of financial fraud.
As part of the crackdown, authorities have also blocked more than 15.75 lakh SIM cards and 5.77 lakh IMEI numbers linked to cybercrime investigations.
The government has expanded its efforts by creating a suspect registry containing identifiers associated with cybercriminals. Data shared by banks and financial institutions has helped identify more than 30 lakh suspicious identifiers and over 32 lakh mule accounts.
Using this information, participating institutions have declined transactions worth more than Rs 25,698 crore, preventing additional losses from suspected fraudulent activity.
The Ministry said a comprehensive standard operating procedure has also been introduced to improve the handling of cybercrime complaints. It provides guidelines for coordination with banks, grievance redressal, removal of lien markings and restoration of money to victims.
New digital modules introduced in April 2026 are aimed at speeding up the return of defrauded funds and resolving issues related to frozen bank accounts.
The government has also expanded public awareness campaigns through SMS alerts, caller tunes, social media, television, radio, schools, cinema advertisements and sporting events to educate citizens about cyber safety.
Officials said the combined use of technology, financial sector cooperation and public awareness is intended to strengthen India’s response to the growing threat of online fraud.
