Terming the alarming rise in digital fraud as modern-day “extortion and dacoity,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant revealed on Friday that cybercriminals have looted more than Rs 50,000 crore from victims nationwide. Speaking at a national cybersecurity conference in Jaipur, the CJI underscored the borderless menace of cybercrime by sharing a startling personal anecdote: international scammers created fake websites in his name to target his own relatives.
Addressing the national conference on ‘Cyber Security: Awareness, Protection and Inclusive Access to Justice,’ CJI Surya Kant painted a grim picture of India’s digital vulnerability. Citing alarming data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), he noted that there are currently about 66 lakh pending cases of cyber fraud across Indian courts.
“It is no longer a marginal problem but a mass phenomenon,” Justice Surya Kant told the gathering. “Cybercrime has no geographical boundaries. It has become a global problem, and we must all work together to find a solution.”
To illustrate how pervasive the threat has become, the CJI shared his own run-in with cybercriminals. “Every alternate day, I find a new website created in my name,” he revealed. He explained that these fraudulent sites were used to send messages to his sister and young lawyers. Fortunately, the language used in the messages was not offensive. Following immediate instructions to the cyber police, authorities discovered that the websites were being developed in Nigeria.
The CJI emphasized that basic discipline is the first line of defense in the digital age. “Cyber safety is at the heart of justice conversation,” he said. “We’ve been taught since childhood to think first and then act. In the digital world, this simple discipline becomes a form of protection.”
He also expressed deep concern over the rising trend of “digital arrest” scams—a psychological extortion tactic used to trap unsuspecting citizens. Moving beyond mere anecdotes, the CJI confirmed active judicial intervention on the matter. “I gave a notice in the SC on digital arrest. I took cognisance of the case of an elderly victim of digital arrest. I am monitoring it today,” he stated, reiterating that the staggering Rs 50,000 crore lost to such frauds is a “clear case of extortion and dacoity.”
The three-day seminar, organized by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RLSA), was jointly inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. The event also marked the launch of several new initiatives by the RLSA, operating under the direction of the Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.
The urgency of the judiciary’s warnings was echoed at the highest levels of the government. Addressing the nation today during his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi specifically advised citizens to remain vigilant against the growing threat of digital arrest scams and urged the public to rely on proper Know Your Customer (KYC) processes to verify details and stay secure.
