Jammu and Kashmir government has tightened defence mechanisms to curb cyber fraud and online financial scams. Chairing the 36th Union Territory Level Coordination Committee meeting, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has called for comprehensive technological interventions, coupled with stringent legal action to safeguard the public from cyber-enabled financial frauds. UTLCC is a statutory coordination forum constituted by the Union Ministry of Finance to ensure close cooperation among regulators and enforcement agencies, curb unauthorised deposit-taking and other unregulated financial activities, and facilitate the sharing of market intelligence. Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing a sharp rise in cybercrimes over the past three years. Figures present in the parliament reveal that the cases increased from 154 in 2021 to 173 in 2022 and 185 in 2023. Financial fraud is the most common crime committed by online criminals. Mostly elderly and technology-challenged persons are targeted by the cybercriminals. With huge mobile internet penetration, Jammu and Kashmir is becoming an easy target of cybercriminals. The central government has launched a comprehensive awareness programme on digital arrest scams through newspapers, social media, and electronic media. Yet the criminals are having a field day. Cybersecurity incidents in India rose from 10.29 lakh in 2022 to 22.68 lakh in 2024. Over 9.42 lakh SIM cards and 2,63,348 IMEIs linked to cyber frauds have been blocked. Union Budget 2025-2026 allocated ₹782 crore for cybersecurity projects. At the same time, the financial toll is becoming more pronounced, with cyber frauds amounting to ₹36.45 lakh reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Waking up to the growing financial frauds, the Jammu and Kashmir government has opertionalised `Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes’ (BUDS) Act. RBI and law enforcement agencies have been directed to streamline cyber regulatory protocols for swift and effective enforcement. Digital Lending Apps (DLA) directory has been operationalised on the RBI website, listing only those apps deployed by RBI-regulated entities. The revised Digital Lending Directions lay down strict norms on recovery practices, data privacy, and grievance redressal systems. On paper, these initiatives look good. Yet there is a need to implement it on the ground in letter and spirit. Cybercriminals are very smart and technologically sound. They know how to navigate the roadblocks to loot people. The government needs to be one step ahead to beat the cybercriminals in their own game. Mule accounts, transnational gangs, local conduits, and rogue techies pose a danger. Law enforcement agencies need to think out of the box to keep cybercriminals at bay. Every bank account needs to be kept under check. Focus should be on the online transactions and transfer of money to suspicious accounts. Special cells should be set up in banks and financial institutions to keep an eye on suspicious accounts. The government needs to up its game and beat cybercriminals on their own turf. Awareness campaigns should not be confined to newspapers and electronic media. The government needs to start a campaign at the village and grassroots level so that tech-challenged people are made aware of cyber fraud.
Growing cybercrimes
