Bandhan Bank has unveiled ‘Cyber Cop,’ a cyber awareness campaign under its CSR programme, presented by Hindustan Times and implemented by Aident Welfare Social Organisation. This move aims to promote safer digital behaviour and empower citizens to respond faster to online fraud.
Cyber fraud in India
The campaign is positioned as a public-interest initiative focused on awareness, vigilance, and prompt action in the face of rising cyber threats in India. The launch of this campaign comes at a time when cyber fraud continues to scale rapidly across the country.
Government-linked reporting cited that cyber fraud losses reported through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal reached ₹22,495 crore in 2025, while financial fraud complaints on the portal crossed 24 lakh during the year.
‘Cyber Cop’ and cyber hygiene
Through films, awareness messaging, and public outreach, Cyber Cop aims to make cyber hygiene easier to understand and easier to act on. The campaign reinforces a simple behavioural prompt — “Pause. Verify. Report.” — while directing citizens to report cybercrime through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the 1930 helpline.
Rohit Shetty joins initiative
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty has joined the initiative to amplify its message and give the campaign a strong cultural hook rooted in his popular cop storytelling universe.
The campaign film frames cybercrime as a threat that now lives inside people’s devices and everyday transactions, extending the idea of policing from the street to the screen.
“Cyber fraud is one of the most pressing challenges in India’s digital ecosystem. With ‘Cyber Cop’, we aim to build awareness that helps people pause before they act, verify before they trust, and report promptly,” Bandhan Bank spokesperson said.
Campaign’s relevance
The campaign’s relevance is reinforced by broader digital adoption and rising incident volume.
A Press Information Bureau explainer noted that over 86 percent of households in India are connected to the internet, while cybersecurity incidents rose from 10.29 lakh in 2022 to 22.68 lakh in 2024; the same note highlighted the 1930 helpline as an immediate assistance channel for victims of online financial fraud.
Cyber Cop also aligns with the need for collaborative public education. The campaign description states that it is intended to help people identify common scam tactics, respond quickly in moments of doubt, and make informed choices while transacting online.
