The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a caution to the public concerning the escalating incidents of fraud via gaming apps. The MHA’s cyber wing, known as the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (14C), has called on individuals to exercise vigilance when participating in online gaming and to take necessary measures to safeguard their safety and security. The advisory from the 14C wing emphasizes, “Play smart, play safe – stay secure while gaming online!”

One of the primary recommendations from the MHA is to exclusively download online gaming apps from reputable sources like the Google Play Store, Apple Store, and official websites. This precaution helps minimize the risk of downloading and installing malicious apps that could compromise the user’s personal information or device security.

MHA Guidelines for Online Gaming:

1. Always verify the legitimacy of game app publishers’ information.
2. Beware of in-app purchases and enticing subscription offers.
3. Exercise caution when sharing personal information in chats or forums, as scammers can exploit social media tactics to manipulate players.
4. Grant only relevant and necessary permissions when downloading an app.
5. In case of online fraud, dial 1930 – the cybercrime helpline number recommended by I4C.
   
   Meanwhile, the government has blocked a total of 581 apps until December 15 last year. Among these, 174 were betting and gambling apps, and 87 were loan lending apps. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) blocked these apps based on MHA recommendations, under section 69A of the IT Act, 2000. Notable apps on the banned list include PUBG and Garena Free Fire, along with others like Parimatch, Fairplay, 1XBET, Lotus365, Dafabet, and Betwaysatta. Some of these were banned, while others were operating illegally in India.

Significantly, in July of the previous year, the government amended the IGST Act, making it mandatory for all offshore gaming companies to register in India. The amendment also granted the government authority to block websites that were not registered and violated laws.

Betting platforms were found to be collecting UPI payments through proxy bank accounts, and the accumulated amounts were being remitted through hawala, crypto, and other illegal routes.

The government has undertaken various initiatives for cybersecurity, and nearly 70% of the criminal justice system, including prisons and courts, will be online in the near future, according to Shah. Over 20 lakh cybercrime complaints have been registered on the portal cybercrime.gov.in, resulting in more than 40,000 FIRs. Since its launch in January 2020, the portal has received 13 crore hits. According to a report from the 14C wing, an average of over 5,000 cybercrime complaints are registered daily. The report indicates a 113.7% growth in cybercrime complaints from 2021 to 2022 and a 60.9% increase from 2022 to 2023.