Majority of cyber crime victims in Hyderabad are private employees, businessmen!-Telangana Today

In the Hyderabad police commission limits, the incidence of cyber crimes has increased by 24% this year; cops say cyber security is not just a police duty now, but a collective responsibility

Hyderabad: The threat of cyber crime it spreads quickly and dangerously. The rapid growth of cyber frauds that bait vulnerable victims with easy money or huge investment returns or a stick, posing as law enforcement personnel and threatening arrests, has raised alarm bells.

In the Hyderabad police commission limits, the incidence of cyber crimes has increased by 24% this year. City police say cyber security was no longer just a police duty, but a collective responsibility.

This year, “Investment Fraud” and “Fraud through digital arresthave often hit the headlines with victims including youths, government officials, retired employees being duped by cyber fraudsters. According to reports, nearly 1 lakh cyber crime cases have been registered across the country and people have lost Rs 1,500 crore due to various types of frauds. The money was mostly lost in investment fraud, impersonation, identity theft, loan fraud and advertising fraud.

While the Cyberabad Police limits were the first in registering cyber crime cases, it was followed by Hyderabad and Rachakonda Police. Cybercrime officials said most of the victims were men. Among job profiles, private employees ranked first, followed by businessmen or self-employed, housekeepers, students, government employees and farmers.

In one case, a doctor was duped to the tune of Rs 11.10 crore on the pretext of Forex trading. The victim received a call from fraudsters asking to invest in US dollar trading. In another case, a woman and her two daughters were duped of Rs 5.60 crore by fraudsters in a ‘Digital Arrest’ scam, who claimed to be officials from CBI and NCBs.

In Cyberabad limits, a software engineer was duped by Maharashtra-based fraudsters of Rs 2.29 crore on the pretext of stock investments promising high returns. Hyderabad Cybercrime DCP D Kavita said, “Fraudsters exploit minimal personal details such as an Aadhaar number or phone number to obtain sensitive information about the victim’s financial accounts. Posing as high-ranking police officials, they manipulate and intimidate victims into compliance, often threatening them with arrest.”

There is an extremely urgent need to focus on cyber security issues and emphasize the role of digital citizens in creating a resilient cyber landscape, another senior cybercrime official said, expressing concern over the rise in fraud ” digital arrests”. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad police has returned a total of Rs 37 crore to cyber fraud victims till November this year.