Centre blocks 3,718 mobile apps, saves over Rs 11,158 crore from cyber fraud

The Centre has blocked 3,718 mobile applications, including fraudulent loan apps, and helped prevent the loss of more than Rs 11,158 crore to cyber fraudsters till June 30, 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Lok Sabha on August 11.

More than 32.80 lakh complaints were received through the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) during the period, with the system helping authorities stop funds from being siphoned off by fraudsters.

Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar provided the figures in a written reply to BJP MP PC Mohan, who had sought details on measures being taken to identify and block illicit, fraudulent and misleading mobile applications, including loan apps.

According to the MHA, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) has blocked the 3,718 apps under provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The government has also blocked more than 15.75 lakh SIM cards and 5.77 lakh IMEIs based on inputs from police authorities.

The Centre has also stepped up action against bank accounts and digital identifiers linked to cybercrime. The I4C's Suspect Registry, launched in September 2024 in collaboration with banks and financial institutions, has received more than 30.48 lakh suspect identifiers from banks.

The registry has also shared details of 32.08 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts with participating entities. As a result, transactions worth Rs 25,698 crore had been declined till June 30, 2026, the minister said.

The MHA has issued a Standard Operating Procedure for handling complaints filed through the National Cyber Reporting Platform (NCRP) and CFCFRMS. The framework covers coordination between law enforcement agencies and banks, grievance redressal, removal of lien markings and restoration of money to victims.

Two new mechanisms — the Money Restoration Module and the Grievance Redressal Module — became operational in April 2026 to speed up the recovery of defrauded funds and address complaints related to frozen bank accounts and lien markings.

The government has also expanded public awareness efforts through SMS and caller tune campaigns, social media outreach via CyberDost, television and radio advertisements, school programmes, cinema campaigns, celebrity-led initiatives, IPL campaigns and cyber safety awareness weeks.

The I4C was established by the MHA as a central mechanism for coordinating action against different forms of cybercrime. The NCRP, operated under the I4C, allows citizens to report cybercrime, with particular emphasis on offences targeting women and children.

The ministry has also launched the Sahyog portal to enable faster action against unlawful online content by facilitating notices to technology intermediaries under the Information Technology Act.