Blocked 83,668 WhatsApp Accounts That Were Used For Digital Arrest: Centre Informs Parliament

New Delhi: 83,668 WhatsApp accounts involved in digital arrests have been blocked, Centre told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay Kumar also mentioned that 3,962 Skype IDs have also been blocked.  

Earlier, the Union Minister informed Parliament that a total of 2,08,469 IMEIs reported by police authorities have been blocked. 

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique number assigned to every phone.

In addition, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for digital arrest, the minister said.

"The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, under the I4C, has been launched in 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and stopping siphoning off funds by fraudsters. So far, around Rs 4,386 crore have been saved in more than 13.36 lakh complaints," Kumar said in the reply.

Also Read: WhatsApp Chats Reveal Rs 200 Cr Unaccounted Money: FM Sitharaman

Additionally, the minister announced the activation of a toll-free helpline number, 1930, to assist individuals in filing complaints.