Nuh launches initiative to curb digital fraud in 60 hotspot villages

The initiative comes amid Nuh’s growing infamy as a national epicentre for cyber-related offences, officials said.

Nuh district administration has launched a grassroots initiative titled “Cyber Warrior Panchayats” in a bid to counter its rising cybercrime profile, targeting 60 villages identified as major hubs of online fraud and digital criminal activity.

As part of the initiative, panchayat members, schoolteachers, youth volunteers, and local influencers will receive cyber literacy training. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The initiative comes amid Nuh’s growing infamy as a national epicentre for cyber-related offences. Investigative agencies, through multiple interstate crackdowns, have flagged villages in Punhana, Ferozepur Jhirka, and Tauru blocks for hosting sophisticated fraud networks involving cloned SIMs, digital wallets, and mule accounts.

“Cybercrime poses a serious and growing threat, and we must act decisively to protect innocent citizens,” said chief minister Nayab Singh Saini at a Mewat Development Board meeting on Friday. “These Cyber Warrior Panchayats will serve as our grassroots defence mechanism—empowered villages are our first line of resistance,” he added.

District officials said the 60 selected villages have shown persistent trends of cybercrime, especially in bank frauds, online impersonation, and phishing scams. Over the past three years, more than 1,000 FIRs linked to cyber fraud have been registered in the district, officials said.

As part of the initiative, panchayat members, schoolteachers, youth volunteers, and local influencers will receive cyber literacy training. They will serve as cyber vigilance champions—conducting door-to-door campaigns, warning against fraud, and reporting suspicious activity, district officials added.

The administration will also coordinate with Haryana Police’s cyber wing, IT experts, banks, and telecom providers to train locals in spotting and reporting fraud. Schools and colleges will include digital hygiene lessons as part of the curriculum, officials said, adding that implementation will roll out in phases in the coming months.