Amit Shah calls for urgent action to stem the rot of cyber fraud

Amit Shah emphasises urgent action against cyber fraud, linking it to national security and calling for coordinated efforts among stakeholders.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah called for coordinated and immediate action by all stakeholders to curb cyber fraud on Tuesday (February 10, 2026), stating that if steps were not taken, it would turn into a national crisis.

Stating that cybersecurity was no longer just an issue of economic security, Mr. Shah said it was now also linked to national security. “It is therefore our collective responsibility to firmly secure the economic, social, administrative, and national security dimensions, and to advance the digital revolution.”

Addressing the national conference on ‘Tackling Cyber-Enabled Frauds & Dismantling the Ecosystem’, organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Mr. Shah said there should be better coordination among stakeholders, including banks and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).

The Home Minister said I4C, State police, CBI, National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, Department of Telecommunications, Department of Banking, Ministry of Information Technology, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the judiciary were working together to prevent cybercrime.

He noted that over the past 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the number of internet users has grown from 250 million to over one billion. Mr. Shah further stated that in 2024, more than 181 billion UPI transactions, involving over ₹233 trillion, were recorded. He added that 97% of total payment transactions are now carried out digitally, with that figure reaching 99% in terms of volume.

“Keeping these transactions secure is now our top priority,” he said, adding that as of February 2026, over 570 million Jan Dhan accounts had been opened. The number of RuPay debit cards had reached 398.1 million and was expected to surpass nearly 500 million by December 2026.