Rs 8031.56 crores saved, lakhs of fraudulent transactions stopped: Read how Centre’s Suspect Registry is helping India combat cyber frauds
In a major step towards combating cyber fraud, the Ministry of Home Affairs had launched a national cybercrime ‘Suspect Registry’ in September 2024. The Suspect Registry was launched as a part of a broader imperative to enhance cybersecurity and prevent online scams. Since its official launch, the Registry has helped save thousands of crores of rupees by declining lakhs of fraudulent transactions. National Cybercrime Suspect Registry and how it works The Suspect Registry was launched on 10th September 2024 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This registry was formed to bolster cybersecurity and prevent online scams by aggregating and sharing data on known cybercriminals. The initiative is managed by the Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The Suspect Registry was developed based on inputs from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), where citizens report cybercrimes. States have boundaries, but criminals do not. The new national 'Suspect Registry' linked with the states will help prevent cybercrimes. pic.twitter.com/6J1vJJtw7g— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 10, 2024 The Suspect Registry is aimed at creating a cyber shield by identifying and flagging suspected cybercriminals. The Registry addresses the surging tide of online scams in the country, where cyber fraudsters use myriad tactics, including phishing links, fake applications, and mule accounts to siphon money. Pertinently, the cybercrime Suspect Registry aids in real-time prevention of online scams rather than just the conventional post-incident investigation. Reports say that the Registry launched by the Central government contains data on over 1.4 million cybercriminals linked to fiscal fraud and other forms of cyber offences. This data comprises phone numbers, email addresses, and bank details, in addition to other identifiers connected with suspicious activities. However, this Registry is not related to GST fraud detection, and specifically targets cyber-enabled financial crimes like phishing, fraudulent transactions, and identity theft, etc. For GST-related fraud detection, there are separate mechanisms in place. In addition to aggregating data from the NCRP, the Suspect Registry gathers inputs from various law enforcement agencies, intelligence units, and police departments in states and union territories. The goal has been to create a database of suspects, be it individuals or entities, flagged for suspected role in cybercrimes. The Suspect Registry is accessible to federal probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), etc, and state and UT police forces, alongside financial institutions like banks and payment gateways. To ensure widespread adoption, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated all banks to integrate with the Suspect Registry. The I4C-managed Suspect Registry has a robust fraud detection mechanism in place. When a transaction is initiated through UPI, net banking, or other apps, banks and financial platforms cross-reference the relevant details, including phone numbers or account numbers, against the Suspect Registry. If a match is found indicating a connection to a known cybercriminal, the transaction is flagged and declined in real-time. By preventing the money from being transferred to fraudulent accounts, online scams are stopped at the source. The Suspect Registry has integrated AI-driven tools for data analysis and pattern recognition. To make the registry dynamic, it is continuously updated with new reports and data. Notably, the Suspect Registry operates under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and in alignment with the Personal Data Protection Act for handling sensitive data, to ensure privacy while prioritising national security. Suspect Registry and its massive impact Within months of its launch in September 2024, the Suspect Registry proved to be a game-changer in combating cybercrimes. In the first 90 days after its launch, the registry helped decline over 6.10 lakh fraudulent transactions. The Suspect Registry prevented victim losses estimated at Rs 1,800 crore. Beyond financial savings, it led to quicker arrests and probes. By mid-2025, the cybercrime Suspect Registry had its impact expanded, with the blocking of over 13 lakh fraudulent transactions. With this, the Registry helped save victim losses up to Rs 5,100 crore. As per a December 2025 press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, more than 18.43 lakh suspect identifier data received from Banks and 24.67 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts were shared with the participating entities of Suspect Registry and declined transactions worth Rs. 8031.56 crores. Interestingly, the Suspect Registry is also being used by the I4C for proactive prevention against cyber fraud. Recently, a massive job scam was unearthed in Cambodia. Eight fraudsters have been arrested for operating an interstate investment fraud conspiracy. These frauds
In a major step towards combating cyber fraud, the Ministry of Home Affairs had launched a national cybercrime ‘Suspect Registry’ in September 2024. The Suspect Registry was launched as a part of a broader imperative to enhance cybersecurity and prevent online scams. Since its official launch, the Registry has helped save thousands of crores of rupees by declining lakhs of fraudulent transactions.
National Cybercrime Suspect Registry and how it works
The Suspect Registry was launched on 10th September 2024 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This registry was formed to bolster cybersecurity and prevent online scams by aggregating and sharing data on known cybercriminals. The initiative is managed by the Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The Suspect Registry was developed based on inputs from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), where citizens report cybercrimes.
States have boundaries, but criminals do not. The new national 'Suspect Registry' linked with the states will help prevent cybercrimes. pic.twitter.com/6J1vJJtw7g
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 10, 2024
The Suspect Registry is aimed at creating a cyber shield by identifying and flagging suspected cybercriminals. The Registry addresses the surging tide of online scams in the country, where cyber fraudsters use myriad tactics, including phishing links, fake applications, and mule accounts to siphon money.
Pertinently, the cybercrime Suspect Registry aids in real-time prevention of online scams rather than just the conventional post-incident investigation. Reports say that the Registry launched by the Central government contains data on over 1.4 million cybercriminals linked to fiscal fraud and other forms of cyber offences. This data comprises phone numbers, email addresses, and bank details, in addition to other identifiers connected with suspicious activities.
However, this Registry is not related to GST fraud detection, and specifically targets cyber-enabled financial crimes like phishing, fraudulent transactions, and identity theft, etc. For GST-related fraud detection, there are separate mechanisms in place.
In addition to aggregating data from the NCRP, the Suspect Registry gathers inputs from various law enforcement agencies, intelligence units, and police departments in states and union territories. The goal has been to create a database of suspects, be it individuals or entities, flagged for suspected role in cybercrimes.
The Suspect Registry is accessible to federal probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), etc, and state and UT police forces, alongside financial institutions like banks and payment gateways. To ensure widespread adoption, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated all banks to integrate with the Suspect Registry.
The I4C-managed Suspect Registry has a robust fraud detection mechanism in place. When a transaction is initiated through UPI, net banking, or other apps, banks and financial platforms cross-reference the relevant details, including phone numbers or account numbers, against the Suspect Registry.
If a match is found indicating a connection to a known cybercriminal, the transaction is flagged and declined in real-time. By preventing the money from being transferred to fraudulent accounts, online scams are stopped at the source.
The Suspect Registry has integrated AI-driven tools for data analysis and pattern recognition. To make the registry dynamic, it is continuously updated with new reports and data.
Notably, the Suspect Registry operates under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and in alignment with the Personal Data Protection Act for handling sensitive data, to ensure privacy while prioritising national security.
Suspect Registry and its massive impact
Within months of its launch in September 2024, the Suspect Registry proved to be a game-changer in combating cybercrimes. In the first 90 days after its launch, the registry helped decline over 6.10 lakh fraudulent transactions. The Suspect Registry prevented victim losses estimated at Rs 1,800 crore. Beyond financial savings, it led to quicker arrests and probes.
By mid-2025, the cybercrime Suspect Registry had its impact expanded, with the blocking of over 13 lakh fraudulent transactions. With this, the Registry helped save victim losses up to Rs 5,100 crore.
As per a December 2025 press release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, more than 18.43 lakh suspect identifier data received from Banks and 24.67 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts were shared with the participating entities of Suspect Registry and declined transactions worth Rs. 8031.56 crores.
Interestingly, the Suspect Registry is also being used by the I4C for proactive prevention against cyber fraud. Recently, a massive job scam was unearthed in Cambodia. Eight fraudsters have been arrested for operating an interstate investment fraud conspiracy. These fraudsters embezzled around Rs 4 crore through mule bank accounts in just 14 days. This cybercrime ring had connections to handlers in Cambodia.
Further investigation by the Indian probe agencies traced a Pakistani link to the fraud network. Over 5,000 Indians have been found to be stranded in Cambodia after they were duped into engaging in cybercrime through phoney job opportunities.
Some of the victims saved and brought back have revealed to central agencies that they were recruited by Pakistani agents. Digital footprints, including IP logs from recruitment calls and chats, were used in forensic analysis, and they outlined the presence of operatives in Pakistan. These Pakistani handlers were running a coordinated network that preyed on vulnerable jobseekers from places like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Mumbai, Telangana and Kerala.” While the central probe agencies, including the CBI and NIA, continue investigation into the syndicate, all the IP addresses traced to Pakistan in this case, have been entered in the Suspect Registry. The flagged IPs would now trigger real-time alerts or blocks during suspected fraudulent transactions or communications, disrupting cybercrime in real-time.
