Kolkata: In response to an alarming surge in sophisticated cybercrimes and escalating threats to state infrastructure, the Kolkata Police is laying the groundwork to constitute a dedicated “Artificial Intelligence Task Force” at its Lalbazar headquarters.The specialized unit will be tasked with investigating AI-driven scams, preventing high-tech fraud, and fortifying government systems against state-sponsored hacking attempts.Preliminary discussions regarding the framework, operational functioning, and optimal manpower of the proposed unit have already commenced at police headquarters, with officers slated to undergo specialised technical training. Senior officials highlighted that as West Bengal expands wide-ranging online social benefit schemes, prioritising robust data protection has become a critical operational imperative.The initiative comes against the backdrop of repeated cyber attacks targeting West Bengal state portals, with intelligence officials suspecting multiple breaches originated from hostile foreign operators in Pakistan. Cops emphasised that reactive measures are no longer sufficient due to the lengthy recovery times required after a system breach.The rapid rise of AI-powered financial fraud in the city has further accelerated the police response. Recent incidents include a massive Rs 3.3 crore “digital arrest” extortion scam—where fraudsters utilized AI-generated visuals and fake agency credentials during video calls—as well as voice-cloning frauds targeting senior citizens by replicating the voices of relatives. Corporate employees have also faced sophisticated “Boss Scams,” involving AI-crafted messages impersonating executive leadership to request emergency money transfers.“Because recovery from breaches takes time, early detection is more effective than post-attack response,” a senior Lalbazar officer noted, explaining that integrated AI tools will monitor threat vectors continuously to issue early warnings before network intrusion occurs. Cyber experts at Detective Department admit subtle digital signals are often missed during manual monitoring—gaps that predictive AI can automatically identify and rectify.The proposed AI Task Force will focus on preemptive defence mechanisms. Officers intend to deploy AI algorithms to detect malware injection attempts arriving via unfamiliar devices, trace cyber threats by analysing behavioural patterns and IP addresses, and automatically intercept phishing links or spam emails before they breach internal networks.The creation of the AI Task Force aligns with ongoing enforcement drives like Operation Cyber Prahar, under which Bengal and Kolkata Police units have raided illicit call centers and dismantled mule-account networks to curb organized cybercrime across the state.
