As you spend hours on your mobile phones, you may be unaware of a digital epidemic that is spreading like wildfire, leaving law enforcement agencies and the Union Home Ministry grappling with a new breed of criminals.
Over the past two months, cases of sextortion and part-time job scams have surged dramatically, creating a perplexing challenge for authorities. According to government data, complaints related to job scams skyrocketed by a staggering 400 per cent, transforming into the latest headache for those tasked with maintaining order and enforcing law.
In August, a seemingly manageable 2,252 cases were reported on the government portal and helpline. However, the situation took a dire turn in September as the numbers soared past 9,000, leaving officials stunned. October witnessed a further spike, with reported cases crossing the alarming threshold of 9,400. The sudden surge in job scams has become an unprecedented wave, making it tough for law enforcement agencies to understand the reasons behind the sudden surge.
Simultaneously, another menace reared its ugly head — sextortion. Initially unnoticed in government data, this crime exploded onto the scene in September, with a sudden surge of 4,376 reported cases. The figures climbed even higher in October, breaching 4,800, as victims reached out to government portals and helplines seeking justice. Investment scam complaints also saw a surge in third quarter in comparison to first quarter.
Meanwhile, with the efforts of the Union Home Ministry, a surprising downturn emerged amidst this digital chaos in cases related to Chinese loan app frauds. These scams, which had claimed lives across the country, witnessed a decline starting January. Despite an average 7,900 cases monthly, the Union government received only 7,100 complaints in August. By October, the numbers further fell to 7,052.
Last week, MHA, with the help of MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), blocked 100 websites involved in organised investment, such as part-time job frauds
The ministry said these websites, which facilitated task-based and organised illegal investment related economic crimes, were learnt to have been operated by overseas actors using digital advertisement, chat messengers and rented accounts.
“It was also learnt that the proceeds from the large-scale economic frauds were seen to be laundered out of India using card network, crypto currency, overseas ATM withdrawals and international Fintech companies. In this regard, several complaints were received through 1930 helpline and NCRP and these offences were posing significant threat to the citizens and involved data security concerns,” the MHA said.
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