The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and Department of Telecommunication (DoT) have blocked at least 17,000 WhatsApp accounts used by cyber criminals from South East Asia, it was announced on Thursday.

In a post on X social media platform, CyberDost, a cyber-safety handle maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs, informed that it aims to disrupt offshore criminal networks and strengthen India’s digital security.

“I4C, in collaboration with DoT, has successfully blocked 17,000 WhatsApp accounts used by cyber criminals from South East Asia. The initiative aims to disrupt offshore criminal networks and strengthen India’s #DigitalSecurity,” CyberDost posted.

In May this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs set up an inter-ministerial committee in reaction to a big rise in transnational organised cybercrime coming from Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos-Philippines.

About 45 per cent of cyber-financial frauds in India come from places in Southeast Asia. These crimes have become more complicated and bigger, which costs the victims a lot of money.

The I4C has taken many steps to damage the infrastructure that hackers use.

Its investigation showed that cybercriminals trick people into giving them money by offering investment chances, games, dating apps, and fake trading platforms.

Notably, Indian teens and young adults have been tricked into going to Cambodia to find work, only to be forced to commit cybercrimes there.

Indian citizens who were protesting in a Cambodian city were arrested, and steps were taken to send them back home and keep them safe.

I4C focuses on tackling all the issues related to cybercrime for the citizens, which includes improving coordination between various Law Enforcement Agencies and the stakeholders, driving change in India’s overall capability to tackle Cybercrime and to improve citizen satisfaction levels.

The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre scheme was approved on October 5, 2018.

Since its roll out, it has worked towards enhancing the nation’s collective capability to tackle cybercrimes and develop effective coordination among the law enforcement agencies.