Cyber fraud losses could amount to 0.7% of GDP, projects Ministry’s study

News: A projection made by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) shows that Indians are likely to lose over Rs 1.2 lakh crore over the next year to cyber frauds.

1. The I4C study shows that mule bank accounts are one of the significant contributors to the online financial scams.

2. Mule bank accounts refer to bank accounts that facilitate illegal transactions by receiving and transferring funds from unlawful activities.

3. A presentation by I4C shows that the investigating agency identifies around 4000 mule bank accounts each day.

4. The I4C’s Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System has also identified 18 ATM hotspots across the country from where money was fraudulently withdrawn.

5. The government has identified “scam compounds” in Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos which have emerged as a hub of investment scams.