Amit Shah to Lead CBI Conference on Cyberfraud, Launch New Cybercrime Branch

The conference is being organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with the aim of bolstering India's cybercrime combat prowess.

Taking to the social media platform X, the Home Minister said, "Cybercrime is a major threat to the world today. Our government is resolved to secure citizens from it. Today, will address the National Conference on 'Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds & Dismantling the Ecosystem' organised by CBI to bolster India's cybercrime combat prowess."

The Union Home Minister also shared a post by the CBI which stated, "Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri AmitShah to Deliver Keynote Address at National Conference on "Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds & Dismantling the Ecosystem" being organised by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)."

The Home Minister will also preside over an investiture ceremony of CBI officers. He will further inaugurate the new Cybercrime Branch of the CBI and launch the S4C Dashboard of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs.

The conference is being conducted by the CBI in collaboration with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The CBI has been investigating cybercrime since 2000 and has upgraded its capabilities over the years. It established the Cybercrime Investigation Division in 2022 to strengthen its specialised response. The agency serves as the nodal body for investigating cybercrime affecting the Central government and its offices, and handles both cyber-dependent crimes and cyber-enabled frauds.

The conference is being convened at a time when, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's rapid digital transformation has significantly improved access to banking, governance, and communication. However, it has also created new vulnerabilities which are being exploited by organised cybercriminal networks.

According to officials, the primary objectives of the conference include building a shared understanding of the scale, trends, and evolving nature of cyber-enabled fraud in India. It will also examine the three critical pillars of the cyber-fraud ecosystem -- the financial pillar, which includes mule accounts and money laundering; the telecom pillar, which includes misuse of SIM/eSIM and digital infrastructure; and the human pillar, which includes cyber slavery and trafficking into scam compounds.

The conference also aims to strengthen inter-agency and public-private collaboration among law enforcement agencies, banks, telecom providers, regulators, and technology platforms. It will explore the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics to scale investigations with limited manpower, and improve mechanisms for faster fraud reporting, real-time fund tracing, timely evidence preservation, and better victim protection.

The conference seeks to drive a unified strategy to combat cyber-enabled fraud by strengthening prevention, investigation, technology adoption, inter-agency coordination, and victim-centric frameworks. Ultimately, it aims to safeguard citizens, disrupt criminal networks, and reinforce trust in India's digital ecosystem.

During the two days, the conference will witness participation from senior officials and experts representing Central and State Law Enforcement Agencies, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Department of Financial Services (DFS), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Public and Private Sector Banks, Cooperative banks /NABARD, FinTech Companies and Payment Platforms, Telecom Service Providers, Social Media and Cloud Service Intermediaries, Cybersecurity experts and domain specialists, International law enforcement and policy representatives. This multi-stakeholder engagement reflects a "whole-of-ecosystem" approach to tackling cybercrime.

- IANS