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By Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: Data compiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revealed that Southeast Asia has emerged as a hotspot for new illicit service ecosystems offering phishing kits, ransomware variants, deepfake technologies and even “money laundering as a service” to transnational criminal networks.
“The increasing use of cryptocurrencies to facilitate anonymous financial flows, the expansion of dark web marketplaces and the commercialisation of cybercrime services (cybercrime-as-a-service or CaaS) have intensified the international scope of digital criminality,” the findings compiled by the central government departments and agencies said.
Convergence of criminal enterprises
There is increasing convergence between cyber-enabled crimes and traditional criminal enterprises. The latest United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report on Southeast Asia underscores how organised crime syndicates combine digital fraud schemes with underground banking and sophisticated money laundering mechanisms.
Cybercriminals often utilise unregulated virtual asset service providers and informal financial channels to obfuscate the origin and movement of illicit funds.
Jurisdictional complexities
According to the MHA findings, disparities in legal definitions, investigatory frameworks and extradition arrangements among nations obstruct the seamless prosecution of cyber offenders.
“These challenges have contributed to the proliferation of haven jurisdictions where criminals operate with relative impunity due to the absence of harmonised cybercrime laws and limited cross-border cooperation,” the report said.
Cybercrime in India
Cybercrime in India has evolved into a threat with serious financial consequences for individuals and organisations, as highlighted by various ministries and organisations.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), since its inception on August 30, 2019, to November 28, 2024, received an aggregate of over 53.93 lakh complaints; these reported incidents collectively account for a defrauded amount of around Rs 31,594 crore.
Cyber financial crimes form the largest component of the crime reported, accounting for about 85 per cent of the cases reported on NCRP.
“There is a growing pattern of cybercrime being used for funding organised criminal networks, fake job rackets and even human trafficking operations overseas. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) highlighted that Indian citizens have been trafficked abroad and coerced into committing cybercrimes from foreign-controlled “scam factories”, especially in Southeast Asia. This includes fake loan apps, call centre-based extortion rackets and even human trafficking using cryptocurrency payments,” the home ministry said.
National security and cross-border implications
“Cybercrime today is no longer a mere law-and-order challenge but has evolved into a major concern for national security, with implications that go beyond borders. Various agencies such as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and I4C have highlighted that transnational cybercriminal syndicates pose serious threats to sovereignty and internal stability,” the ministry highlighted in its findings.
These syndicates, along with cyberterrorism and geopolitical threats, are reshaping the cybercrime landscape as a full-fledged national security concern. During the course of the investigation, the central agencies have found that several states in India have become a centre point from which the cybercriminals try to run their syndicate.
Assam: In collaboration with the I4C, Assam Police dismantled eight illegal call centres involved in multi-crore scams targeting domestic and international victims via fake pop-ups and toll-free numbers in September 2023.
Punjab: Punjab police dismantled five unauthorised call centres operating in SAS Nagar, which were involved in fraudulent schemes that targeted US citizens. The operation led to the arrest of 155 individuals and led to the identification of 336 victims in the United States based on digital forensic evidence in May 2024.
Jharkhand: With I4C support, the cybercrime police station in Ranchi exposed a fraudulent scheme targeting elderly citizens in the United Kingdom and Australia. Criminals impersonated representatives of British Telecom and Telstra to deceive victims in April 2024.
Odisha: Cyber police station Bhubaneswar, aided by I4C, intercepted an international tech support scam involving impersonation of Norton and McAfee representatives. The operation resulted in arrests and seizure of key digital assets in October 2024.
Mobile Number Validation Service
To further secure mobile identity, the government has piloted a Mobile Number Validation Service (MNVS) to verify mobile number ownership and prevent use of mobile connections in mule accounts.
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has backed all these digital interventions with large-scale public awareness campaigns across languages and platforms, partnering with banks, telecom service providers and government institutions to maximise reach.
Together, these innovative steps form a robust defence framework against the misuse of India’s telecom and financial systems.
As per data, the government has disconnected a total of 4.22 crore mobile numbers.
According to the data, the total fraudulent connections disconnected based upon Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR) analysis was 78.33 lakhs, and the mobile connections disconnected based on inputs from other stakeholders 72.42 lakhs, mobile connections disconnected for exceeding individual limit 1.46 crores of mobile connections disconnected based on citizens’ feedback on Sanchar Saathi (Not My Number + Not Required) 1.26 crores, the number of mobile handsets traced for ‘Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile’ and flagged to State Police 20.49 lakhs, mobile handsets recovered by state police and returned to citizens 4.72 lakhs.
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