A new weapon against cyber fraud: Govt’s I4C database allows to search for known scamsters; can help preventing digital arrest

The Indian Government has declared war on the digital arrest scam which has grown manifold in recent years. Recently the prime minister of India issued an advisory about digital arrest scams and asked people to be careful. In this same regard, the government has taken concrete steps to curb the rising instances of digital arrest scam by introducing an online database of known scam UPI IDs, mobile number, names, social media handles and email addresses. This database (codenamed I4C) is hosted on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and can be accessed by anybody. This database is especially useful in situations where you need to know the identity of an unknown caller who may have been trying to scam you.The government has said this I4C database has been created to stop digital arrest scams by making the scamsters’ identity known to the public. Digital arrest scam works on the ideology of fear. You get a call from an unknown number identifying himself/herself as some senior police officer, or court judge, or CBI, or customs, or anybody of high government status. Then they play some false narratives on you saying drugs, and other contraband items were found in your name and until the time investigation is concluded they will have to place you under arrest. Typically, when anybody hears the word ‘arrest’ It is the sense of fear which grips your thinking process rather than logical reasoning. This is when the imposter offers a way out and tells them he/she will place you under digital arrest provided you comply with his terms. His terms usually are about money specifically asking for bribes to settle this digital arrest. In a gist this is a digital arrest scam- an imposter placing you under fake digital arrest to ask for a bribe for a crime which did not even happen.

How can the I4C database help prevent digital arrest scams?

The I4C database can be found under the ‘Report and Check Suspect’ column on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. You can search the database, report any suspect or file an application for appeal to the Grievance Redressal Appellate authority.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs, “The Central Government has introduced a new feature titled as ‘Report and Check Suspect’ on https://cybercrime.gov.in. This facility provides citizens a search option to search I4C’s repository of identifiers of cyber criminals through ‘Suspect Search’. I4C proactively identifies and blocks fake IDs used for Digital Arrest.”

Step-by-step guide on how to use the I4C portal Step 1: Go here- https://cybercrime.gov.in/Default.aspx and navigate to ‘Report and Check Suspect’. Step 2: Click on ‘Suspect Repository’ and then Check Suspect. There two types of suspects you can check- mobile, UPI ID, email, etc and website/app. In this example we have selected ‘Check Suspect (mobile, email, etc). Simply click on any of the search criteria and then fill in the captcha challenge.

Source: National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

Vikram Babbar, Partner, EY Forensic & Integrity Services – Financial Services, says, “The government has now provided a new feature ‘Report & Check Suspect’ under the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Using the feature, an individual can now search the ‘Suspect Repository’ if there is any suspicious conversation or transaction to validate if the person on the other side of the transaction is already identified as a scamster or fraudster.”

The Repository can be searched using 5 variables – UPI ID, phone number, bank account number, email ID and social media handle. “This makes the search very convenient and comprehensive as this helps in identifying most of the current fraud types,” says Babbar.

Babbar says if there is a hit that matches within the Repository, the individual is sure that there is a fraudster he/ she is dealing with in the transaction or conversation and hence can avoid any action. “With more and more citizens coming up and reporting transactions, this will surely help in avoiding falling prey to the repeat offenders or scamsters. This Repository has been created on the basis of multiple complaints filed by the citizens on the Cybercrime portal,” he says.