83 FIRs in 6 months: Crackdown on rogue NBFCs & digital lenders in state

Guwahati, May 4: Eighty-three FIRs have been registered against non-banking financial institutions in the state. Besides, 81 digital lending complaints have been received since October last year.

These numbers came up during the 15th State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) meeting on Regulation of NBFCs and Unincorporated Bodies chaired by Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Saturday, which stressed continued coordination between enforcement agencies, financial regulators, and the Cyber Cell to effectively tackle financial fraud.

Senior Assam government officials, the regional director of RBI (Guwahati), and representatives from SEBI, ICAI, IRDAI, NHB, and police officials, among others, were present.

“Emphasis was laid on the need for synergy among financial regulators and law enforcement agencies to formulate a comprehensive action plan for awareness and enforcement to curb financial fraud across the state,” official sources said.

The meeting underlined the need for regular monitoring of stockbroking companies and strict action against unauthorised deposit collection. The SEBI has been asked to provide educational material on fraud methods and share insights from investor activity over the past two years.

The meeting decided that warnings against scams impersonating FedEx personnel and Crime Branch officials using AI tools will be disseminated via Assam Police’s social media platforms. Stakeholders were advised to conduct awareness drives focusing on OTP, QR code and fake trading app frauds.

Training programmes have been held with SEBI, involving 50 officers from CID and Guwahati Police Commissionerate. The meeting recommended spreading awareness in local languages, especially in rural areas.

The BI (EO) has been asked to coordinate with RBI to verify registration and investigation of cases against unauthorised entities.

By

Staff Reporter