Centre blocks 3,718 mobile apps, including illegal loan apps

The Indian government recently took action to block a staggering 3,718 mobile applications, including fraudulent loan apps, on the grounds that they deceived users. This announcement was made by Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Minister of State for Home Affairs, during a speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. According to Kumar, "As of June 30 this year, 3,718 mobile apps, including fraudulent loan apps, have been blocked by Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under Sections 69(A), 79(3)(b) of IT Act 2000."

The Centre has also taken steps to combat SIM card and IMEI fraud, with over 15.75 lakh SIM cards and 5.77 lakh IMEIs being blocked. This information was shared by Kumar in a written response to the Lok Sabha.

Kumar further informed the House that the I4C-managed 'Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System' (CFCFRMS), launched in 2021 to facilitate the reporting of financial frauds, has prevented over Rs 11,158 crore from being misappropriated. He explained, "As per CFCFRMS... till June 30, more than Rs. 11,158 crore has been saved in more than 32.8 lakh complaints."