NEW DELHI, Apr 19: In a bid to combat rising digital arrest frauds, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will on Monday launch an AI-powered chatbot, ‘Abhay’, to help citizens verify the authenticity of notices issued in their name.
The chatbot will be unveiled by Surya Kant during the 22nd D P Kohli Memorial Lecture, where he will also speak on challenges posed by cybercrime and the role of police and judiciary, officials said.
According to the CBI, the tool will enable the public to check whether a notice claiming to be issued by the agency is genuine, addressing a growing trend where fraudsters impersonate officials to extort money by threatening victims with “digital arrest”.
Officials said scammers have been using fake CBI notices in non-existent cases to coerce individuals, often holding them virtually hostage and extracting large sums.
The move follows concerns flagged by the Supreme Court of India, which recently noted that cybercriminals had siphoned off nearly ₹54,000 crore in various scams, describing the trend as akin to “robbery or dacoity”.
During the event, 24 Medals for Meritorious Service will also be conferred.
The memorial lecture, instituted in honour of D P Kohli, has been organised annually since 2000 and serves as a platform for discussions on law enforcement, criminal justice, and evolving investigative challenges.
