The Rise of Digital Deception
As India’s digital ecosystem expands with record levels of online banking, e-commerce and virtual tourism, level of risks expands too. To tackle this, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has deployed a new kind of force: Cyber Patrols. These virtual sentinels are not armed with rifles but with code, data, and real-time monitoring capabilities.
Recent incidents have highlighted a worrying trend—cybercriminals creating fake websites, social media handles and online advertisements to target unsuspecting citizens, particularly religious pilgrims and tourists. The deception is often elaborate. For example, scammers set up cloned websites for Kedarnath helicopter bookings, Chaar Dhaam taxi services and Somnath guest house reservations. These portals look convincingly real, using stolen logos, paid Google ads, and WhatsApp numbers for communication.
Once a victim transfers money for a booking, the fraudsters vanish, leaving no trace. Victims often discover they’ve been duped only when they arrive at the location or fail to receive any confirmation. These crimes aren’t just financially damaging; they erode public trust in online services and tarnish the image of sacred and popular destinations.
I4C’s Cyber Patrolling Initiative
To combat these sophisticated scams, the I4C has rolled out a multi-pronged cyber patrolling strategy aimed at preventing, detecting and dismantling digital fraud networks. This initiative works across several dimensions:
1. Scam Signal Exchange
One of the first lines of defense is proactive collaboration. I4C regularly shares scam signals with major digital intermediaries such as Google, Meta (Facebook & WhatsApp) and Instagram. These partners are then able to block malicious ads, flag impersonating social media accounts and reduce the visibility of suspicious websites through their internal algorithms.
2. Enforcement and State-Level Coordination
Identifying cybercrime hotspots has become a crucial part of the enforcement strategy. Once identified, states and union territories (UTs) are alerted and sensitized about the patterns of cyber fraud emerging from their jurisdictions. Law enforcement agencies on the ground are then empowered to act swiftly through both digital tracking and traditional investigation methods.
3. Cyber Patrolling & AI Surveillance
Cyber patrolling is essentially the act of actively monitoring the digital space for harmful activities. Using a combination of AI-powered analytics, manual review teams and cyber forensics, I4C tracks and takes down harmful entities operating fake portals. Just as physical beat constables keep a watch on streets; these virtual patrols keep an eye on the ever-changing online terrain.
4. Empowering Citizens through Awareness
An informed citizen is the first line of defense. I4C’s public alerts aim to empower individuals to verify bookings only through official websites:
- Kedarnath helicopter bookings: https://heliyatra.irctc.co.in
- Somnath Trust & Guest House bookings: https://somnath.org
In case of fraud, citizens can report incidents easily through:
- National Cybercrime Reporting Portal: www.cybercrime.gov.in
- Cyber Helpline Number: 1930
This open channel also includes a suspect checking tool, allowing users to quickly verify links or accounts before engaging with them.
The Scale of the Threat
Cybercrime in India has seen a steep rise in recent years. According to NCRB data and I4C estimates:
- Over 5,000 cases of online booking fraud were reported in 2023 alone.
- A significant portion of these targeted pilgrimage hotspots, especially during high seasons.
- States such as Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir have become frequent targets due to the tourist influx.
Moreover, fraudsters are increasingly using AI-generated chatbots, deepfake voices and spoofed caller IDs to make their scams more convincing. This has pushed law enforcement agencies to rethink traditional crime-fighting approaches and integrate tech-driven solutions.
Why Cyber Patrolling Matters
In the physical world, police presence deters crime. In the digital world, the absence of such presence creates a vacuum where criminals thrive. Cyber patrolling fills this void by:
- Deterring fraudulent actors who know their activities are being tracked.
- Responding faster to emerging threats before they go viral or become large-scale.
- Building trust in digital services among the masses, especially first-time users in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
As India gears up to become a $1 trillion digital economy, security must scale with growth. Cyber patrolling is not just a reactive tool; it is a proactive safeguard for the future.
International Relevance and Future Readiness
India’s model of cyber patrolling is gradually gaining attention in international cybercrime forums. With countries across the Global South facing similar issues like fake religious booking scams in Indonesia, or tourism fraud in Thailand. India’s approach offers a scalable template for low-cost, tech-driven digital surveillance.
Looking ahead, I4C is working on:
- Real-time scam detection bots using Natural Language Processing (NLP) to monitor scam narratives across languages.
- A unified national blacklist of scam domains accessible by citizens.
- Inter-agency collaboration with CERT-In, MHA and Intelligence Bureau for critical threats.
Conclusion: The New Face of Public Policing
The virtual beat is now as vital as the physical one. India’s cyber patrol units are the digital watchmen of this new era, guarding every byte and boundary of the nation’s cyberspace. Just as we have grown used to seeing police vans in markets, airports, and highways, it’s time we acknowledge the unseen cyber sentinels scanning the web 24×7.
Public safety in the digital age demands more than firewalls and passwords, it needs continuous vigilance, rapid enforcement and citizen awareness. I4C’s cyber patrolling is a commendable step in that direction, ensuring India remains safe, not just on the streets, but in the screens too.