Mumbai: Three months after the Maharashtra cyber cell set up a first-of-its kind dedicated web portal for users to report phishing complaints, it has addressed more than 247 complaints till early July. The anti-phishing unit, established to help report, resolve, curb and spread awareness against phishing, has successfully blocked more than 200 sites. Even as the website is in its beta testing mode, over 93 per cent complaints were repressed by the anti-phishing unit. Till mid-July, the portal had received a total of 247 complaints and has managed to take action against 204 phishing portals, mobile numbers used for vishing calls, fake matrimonial profiles, etc. The portal, www.reportphishing.in, aims to bring all the stakeholder agencies like banks, payment gateways and telecom service providers under one roof and alert them about trends in complaints..
“After phishing accounted for half of the cyber crimes committed across the world in 2018, it was only a matter of time an anti-phishing unit needed to be set up. Accordingly, Maharashtra cyber cell, with technical support of National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI), initiated the portal,” Balsing Rajput, superintendent, Maharashtra cyber said. With a low detection rate of cyber crimes, this portal acts instantly and redresses the problems at a timely basis. While phishing, vishing, bank frauds, matrimonial frauds are some of the cases dealt here, other types of cyber crimes are termed as irrelevant.
The website has been designed in such a manner that it is easily accessible and understood. The victim is only expected to fill in their details, phone number, email ID, type of fraud, the number/email is of the accused. One does not need to be an engineer or rocket scientist to access the website and lodge a complaint. However, IGP Singh clarified, the portal acts as a complaint redressal platform and is not a First Information Report (FIR), which would call for police action into the matter. However, not many are aware of the protal, hence the number of complainants are declining.
“There is a need for creating more awareness on our portal. At present, we are using social media and various awareness events to publicise,” said Rajput. Data acquired from the anti-phishing unit states that the month of March saw most number of complaints pouring in as many portals had put up phishing nets sent through messages text or emails. The month of March alone saw over 87 complaints on the portal coming in, an official said