On Wednesday, the Union home ministry announced the blocking of 100 websites engaged in organized investment schemes, task-based economic frauds, and money laundering activities outside of India. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) implemented the block based on recommendations from the National Cybercrime Threat Analysis Unit (NCTAU), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
According to a statement from the MHA, the NCTAU identified and recommended the blocking of these websites, which were implicated in organized investment and part-time job frauds. MeitY, utilizing its authority under the Information Technology Act, 2000, executed the blockage.
The ministry revealed that these websites played a role in facilitating organized illegal investments and economic crimes, allegedly orchestrated by overseas actors. These actors purportedly utilized digital advertisements, chat messengers, and rented accounts for their illicit activities.
The statement further disclosed that the proceeds from these economic frauds were being laundered out of India through methods such as card networks, cryptocurrency transactions, overseas ATM withdrawals, and international fintech companies.
Numerous complaints were lodged through the 1930 helpline and the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) regarding these fraudulent activities. The MHA emphasized that these offenses posed significant threats to citizens and raised concerns about data security.
The typical modus operandi of these frauds involved targeted digital advertisements on platforms like Google and Meta, using keywords like “Ghar baithe job” (jobs while sitting at home) and “Ghar baithe kamai kaise karen” (how to earn money while sitting at home) in multiple languages. The targets were often retirees, women, and unemployed youth seeking part-time employment.
Upon clicking on the advertisements, victims were engaged by agents using WhatsApp or Telegram, who persuaded them to perform tasks such as video likes, subscriptions, and mapping ratings, among other seemingly simple assignments. After completing the initial task, victims received a commission but were then urged to invest more for greater returns. Once a larger sum was deposited, the deposits were frozen, leading to the duping of the victims.
The MHA stressed its commitment to creating a cyber-safe India and highlighted Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s dedication to combating cybercrime and safeguarding citizens from cyber threats. The public was encouraged to promptly report phone numbers and social media handles used by fraudsters to the NCRP via www.cybercrime.gov.in.
