Chittoor police launch campaign against cybercrime

The district administration, in collaboration with the police, launched a comprehensive awareness campaign on Wednesday (February 12) to educate the public about cybercrimes.

Superintendent of Police (SP) V.N. Manikantha Chandolu, who launched the first of the awareness camps here, said cybercriminals were employing increasingly sophisticated methods to deceive individuals, resulting in considerable financial losses and incidents of identity theft.

He said the range of cybercrimes has expanded, encompassing various fraudulent activities such as phishing, online shopping scams, fraudulent job offers and social media deception. “Cybercriminals often exploit vulnerabilities, including weak passwords, deceptive phone calls and malicious links, to gain unauthorised access to personal information. Reports indicate a rise in scams related to investment fraud, online betting applications and QR code-based transactions, with victims suffering substantial financial losses,” the SP said.

District Collector Sumit Kumar cautioned that cybercriminals utilised widely used platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram, along with counterfeit websites and compromised digital payment systems, to conduct their fraudulent operations.

Recent cases in Chittoor indicate that victims, enticed by the prospects of rapid financial gain, frequently find themselves transferring funds to fraudulent accounts. Moreover, some individuals have fallen victim to elaborate scams involving fake digital arrest threats, wherein criminals impersonate law enforcement officials to extort money, he said.

To mitigate these risks, senior police officials suggested several key precautionary measures: refrain from sharing personal information online, exercise caution when clicking on unfamiliar links, and use strong passwords for all digital accounts and update them regularly. Individuals should maintain a healthy scepticism towards unsolicited job offers and loan applications that request excessive permissions, as these might be indicative of fraudulent schemes.

The speakers said that women and young adults should be more cautious and advised them to remain vigilant regarding online relationships, as cybercriminals took on false identities to manipulate targets. Additionally, parents have been encouraged to monitor their children’s internet activities to protect them from exposure to harmful or exploitative content.

The public have been told to report incidents of cyber fraud by contacting the cybercrime toll-free number 1930 or by reaching out to cyber allies helpline at 9121211100. Complaints may also be filed through the official portal at cybercrime.gov.in. The district police have established a dedicated WhatsApp number at 9440900005 for immediate assistance.