CBI Launches AI Chatbot ABHAY with QR Codes to Verify Notices, Combat Cybercrime

New Delhi: CBI notices from May 1 will carry a special QR code, allowing people to verify their genuineness through an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, ABHAY, a first-of-its-kind initiative by any agency to deter the public from falling prey to cybercriminals, officials said on Monday.

Launching the chatbot at the 22nd D P Kohli Memorial Lecture here on Monday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant called it a "pivotal and opportune initiative" that would act as an "effective safeguard" against fraudsters masquerading as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials.

"Such a mechanism can serve as an effective safeguard against fraudsters who masquerade as CBI officials and circulate fabricated notices through instant-messaging platforms, often invoking the threat of so-called digital arrest to coerce and browbeat unsuspecting individuals," the CJI said.

A senior CBI official said the QR codes will also include the notices' expiry dates.

When a person receives the purported notice, he can scan the QR code on ABHAY available on the CBI website, which will immediately check the agency's database to determine whether the document is genuine or forged. Cybercriminals use such notices to coerce people into a digital-arrest scam by posing as CBI officials and extort money.

"To maximise ABHAY's impact, it would be prudent to ensure its widespread accessibility and adoption. Much like essential applications that are pre-installed on mobile devices, such a tool could be integrated by default to enhance public utility," the CJI said.

Equally important is the need for sustained awareness -- its purpose, functionality and benefits must be actively disseminated to foster an informed citizenry -- he said.

The CJI also awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 23 CBI officers and officials on the occasion.

He said in matters of cybercrimes, it is advisable to adopt a victim-centric approach. "Systems must be designed not only for efficiency, but for accessibility and empathy. It is important to recognise that a significant number of victims of cyber fraud are often retired persons and senior citizens, many of whom lose not merely disposable income, but their entire life savings accumulated over decades of honest work," Justice Kant said.

He said for such victims, the loss is not only financial but deeply startling, often accompanied by a sense of distress, helplessness, deprivation of social security and even ignominy.

"Reporting mechanisms must therefore be simple, accessible and reassuring. Response times must be minimised, particularly in the crucial initial hours when recovery may still be possible. At the same time, institutional support must extend beyond legal processes to include sensitivity towards the psychological impact of such offences, ensuring that victims are treated with dignity, patience and understanding," the CJI said.