New Delhi, Feb 10 (NationPress) Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized on Tuesday that cybercrime poses a significant threat globally and announced his participation in a national conference aimed at addressing cyber-enabled fraud and dismantling its underlying ecosystem.

This conference, organized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is focused on enhancing India’s capabilities in combating cybercrime.

In a post on the social media platform X, the Home Minister stated, “Cybercrime is a pressing global issue. Our government is committed to protecting citizens from its impacts. Today, I will address the National Conference on 'Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds & Dismantling the Ecosystem' organized by CBI to enhance India’s cybercrime response.”

The Home Minister also shared a message from the CBI indicating, “Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah will deliver the keynote address at the National Conference on 'Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds & Dismantling the Ecosystem' organized by the Central Bureau of Investigation.”

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

The CBI is hosting this conference in collaboration with the I4C, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Since its inception in 2000, the CBI has been actively investigating cybercrime and has progressively enhanced its capabilities. In 2022, it established the Cybercrime Investigation Division to strengthen its specialized response. The agency acts as the nodal body for probing cybercrimes affecting the Central government and its offices, addressing both cyber-dependent crimes and cyber-enabled frauds.

This conference is timely, as under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has undergone rapid digital transformation, improving access to banking, governance, and communication, while simultaneously exposing new vulnerabilities exploited by organized cybercriminal networks.

Officials indicate that the main goals of the conference include fostering a unified understanding of the scale, trends, and evolving nature of cyber-enabled fraud in India. It will investigate three critical pillars of the cyber-fraud ecosystem: the financial pillar, which encompasses mule accounts and money laundering; the telecom pillar, involving misuse of SIM/eSIM and digital infrastructure; and the human pillar, covering cyber slavery and trafficking into scam compounds.

The conference also aims to enhance collaboration between law enforcement agencies, banks, telecom providers, regulators, and technology platforms. Discussions will include leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics to optimize investigations with limited manpower, and improving mechanisms for rapid fraud reporting, real-time fund tracing, timely evidence preservation, and enhanced victim protection.

The objective is to establish a cohesive strategy against cyber-enabled fraud by reinforcing prevention, investigation, technology adoption, inter-agency coordination, and victim-centric approaches. Ultimately, the goal is to protect citizens, disrupt criminal networks, and strengthen trust in India’s digital ecosystem.

Over two days, the conference will feature participation from senior officials and experts from 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, Payment Platforms, Telecom Service Providers, Social Media and Cloud Service Intermediaries, Cybersecurity experts, and domain specialists, as well as representatives from international law enforcement and policy.