I4C and Amazon to combat online frauds

MUMBAI: Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), established by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Amazon India are collaborating to launch a nationwide initiative designed to safeguard consumers from the growing rising threat of online scams and fraud.Thispartnership aims to take scam literacy to the grassroots, making it accessible, relatable, and actionable by combining education, awareness, and technology-led prevention.As part of the campaign, I4C and Amazon will jointly drive a series of initiatives at a national and regional level in the coming months. These includeengaging social media content that transforms complex fraud scenarios into easy-to-understand safety tips, digital ads featuring safety advisories that reach millions of households, among others. “Shopping is a natural part of every Indian household in the festive season. It is also a time of heightened fraudulent activity by scamsters who try to dupe consumers, particularly vulnerable groups like first-time internet users and senior citizens. This partnership with Amazonwill create awareness for consumers on how to detect frauds and avoid falling prey to them,” said Nishant Kumar, director at I4C. "At Amazon, customer trust is our highest priority. When scammers misuse names of known brands to lure customersto divulge, they don't just harm businesses – they damage consumer confidence in the entire digital economy of the country. Through our partnership with I4C, we want to take proactive steps to create practical solutions that educate and empower shoppers to recognize, avoid, and report scams,” said Rakesh Bakshi, VP, Legal at Amazon India. This collaboration comes at a crucial juncture, with over half of all fraud cases in India occurring online, and risks particularly high during festive shopping seasons, as highlighted in a recent McAfee report.The initiative also builds on Amazon’s ongoing efforts to safeguard its customers.