New Delhi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday directed officials to establish a national-level call centre for the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 to ensure that complaints left unattended by state-level centres are addressed promptly.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on cybercrime response mechanisms, Shah stressed that every citizen reaching out through the national helpline must receive timely assistance and that no complaint should remain unresolved due to capacity constraints.

According to an official statement, the proposed national call centre will be equipped with sufficient manpower and infrastructure to handle calls that are not answered by state-level facilities. The objective is to guarantee immediate support to victims and facilitate swift registration of complaints.

The Home Minister also called for a comprehensive modernisation of the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 through the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve operational efficiency, response time and overall service delivery.

He directed that all state-level call centres be upgraded with improved technological infrastructure and robust Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems to streamline call management and enable seamless escalation of complaints whenever required.

Shah said the Ministry of Home Affairs would extend support for hardware and technology enhancements, while states and Union Territories would be expected to strengthen staffing levels to ensure speedy disposal of complaints.

The upgraded framework, he noted, should support quicker complaint registration, intelligent call routing and more effective grievance handling for citizens affected by cybercrime.

During the review meeting, Shah assessed several citizen-focused initiatives designed to provide immediate relief to victims of cyber offences, particularly those involving financial fraud.

He observed that the Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 has become a key platform for reporting cyber-related offences and has enabled citizens to lodge complaints in a simple and timely manner, especially in cases involving online financial scams.

Reaffirming the Centre's commitment to cybersecurity, Shah said the government is working towards building a secure, technology-driven and citizen-centric system for cybercrime prevention and response.

The meeting also reviewed the functioning of the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), a flagship initiative aimed at tackling cyber-enabled financial fraud. The platform facilitates the rapid blocking of suspicious transactions through the banking network, increasing the chances of recovering funds for victims.

Shah highlighted that the Ministry had introduced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in January to expedite the handling of cyber financial fraud cases. The SOP seeks to ensure coordinated action among banks, financial institutions, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, enabling quicker recovery and return of blocked funds to victims.

The official statement noted that the Supreme Court has instructed all High Courts to ensure implementation of the SOP framework.

The Home Minister also directed officials to conduct regular assessments of the Money Restoration Module (MRM) and Grievance Redressal Module (GRM), both of which operate under the CFCFRMS platform. He said state authorities should closely monitor these mechanisms to ensure prompt resolution of complaints and speedy restoration of funds.

Shah further stressed the need for swift action in cases where bank accounts are frozen without sufficient justification, adding that accountability should be fixed wherever lapses occur.

He informed the meeting that nearly one lakh citizens have so far benefited from the money restoration and grievance redressal mechanisms established under the system.

Officials briefed the Home Minister that around 94 lakh bank accounts with potential for fund recovery have been uploaded under the money restoration and grievance redressal framework as part of the SOP-driven process.

Addressing another growing concern, Shah called for stronger measures to tackle mule bank accounts frequently used by cybercriminals to facilitate financial fraud.

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He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts involving the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), state governments, law enforcement agencies, banks and financial institutions would further strengthen India's cybersecurity ecosystem while ensuring timely assistance to cybercrime victims across the country.