Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime Unit Gets More Manpower To Curb Cases

The Maharashtra government is now doubling the manpower used at Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime Unit. The government has increased the number of telephone connections and computer terminals available to the Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime unit. This step is being taken because Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime Unit reported struggling to cope with the number of complaints received on the helpline ‘1930.’

The cyber crime unit was facing a scarcity of manpower and resources at the National Cyber Crime Helpline Desk. The scarcity led to victims being unable to access police assistance that they required to register online crimes.

On average, the victims had to make 15 to 16 calls to connect with the officials to register a complaint, because they had limited resources at the Cyber Crime control room. Between August and October of this year, the cyber police were only able to respond to one out of every four calls. There are now 22 employees working two shifts at the helpdesk. According to data records, it usually takes 20 minutes for a complaint to be registered.

Success Rate Of Solving Cases:

In the "golden hours," the helpline's success rate ranges from 70% to 80% if a scam is reported within the first two hours. According to officials, success rates drop to 15%-20% after that.

22 more employees as well as computer terminals have now been authorised for the Mumbai Police Cyber Crime unit.

The Home Department has received multiple proposals from the Crime Branch, which is in charge of the helpline desk, to bolster the desk with more staff and resources in order to address the growing number of cyber crime cases in the city. An IPS officer stated that the state government was given a proposal to increase manpower to take cyber crime calls along with computer terminals, dedicated telephones, and broadband lines with printers.

Authorities in the Mumbai area claim that calls from Navi Mumbai, Thane, Virar, and other MMR areas were received by the Mumbai desk due to a recent technical issue. Of the 8486 calls that the Mumbai Police received on the helpline in September 2900 came from outside the city.

Point Of Contact:

The Ministry of Home Affairs launched the crucial "1930" helpline to aid victims in reporting and obtaining support for cybercrimes. It acts as a centralised point of contact for those who are the sufferers of financial scams, cyberbullying, online harassment, online fraud, and other illegal activities related to the internet. The main objective of the helpline is to provide prompt assistance and take appropriate action against online fraudsters.

Online financial fraud is the most common type of cybercrime in India, accounting for 77.41% of all recorded crimes between January 2020 and June 2023, according to new research of the country's trends in cybercrime carried out by the nonprofit Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF). According to the survey, financial scams accounted for more than 75% of all cybercrimes. This highlights the pressing need for improved cybersecurity protocols and heightened awareness among Indian populations.