I4C teams up with Amazon India to launch anti-scam campaign ahead of festive season

In a bid to curb rising online scams, especially during the festive shopping season, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has partnered with Amazon India to launch a nationwide consumer awareness initiative, #ScamSmartIndia.

This first-of-its-kind collaboration aims to simplify scam literacy through grassroots-level education, regional outreach, and tech-driven prevention. The campaign will feature digital safety advisories, social media content demystifying fraud scenarios, flyers in Amazon packages, and weekly tips under a ‘Scam-Free September’ initiative. A national hackathon is also planned to develop AI tools for scam detection.

“Shopping is a natural part of every Indian household in the festive season. It is also a time of heightened fraudulent activity,” said Nishant Kumar, Director, I4C. “This partnership with Amazon will create awareness for consumers on how to detect frauds and avoid falling prey to them.”

Rakesh Bakshi, Vice President – Legal, Amazon India, added, “When scammers misuse names of known brands, they damage consumer confidence in the entire digital economy. We want to create practical solutions that empower shoppers to recognize, avoid, and report scams.”

The initiative comes at a time when over half of all fraud cases in India are online, with first-time internet users and senior citizens especially at risk, as per recent industry data. It builds on Amazon’s ongoing efforts to promote safe digital practices through workshops and partnerships with industry bodies.