THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite measures to tackle crimes, cyber-related fraud continues to haunt the public. At least 439 debit and credit cards were reported in the city in 2018, twice more than the number reported in 2017. This has put the police on their toes as in 2016, only 199 cases were reported.
“The cyber cell in the city receives at least 50-100 complaints per day,” said Manikandan, Sub Inspector cyber cell.
Apart from cases of fraud, abuse via social media handles has also doubled this year. While the cyber police registered 65 complaints in 2017, an year later it has risen to 145. Cases registered under the IT Act have also increased. In 2017, the police registered 34 cases under the IT Act while this year it has touched 65.
"Social media is influencing people's lives. Cyber crimes are increasing owing to changes in lifestyle. Increased online purchases and social media interactions have resulted in the rise of cyber crimes," said City Police Commissioner P Prakash. According to the Commissioner, cases regarding online transaction fraud was the biggest challenge faced by the city police last year. The phenomenon of organising protests via social media platform is also alarming the police. The number of protests and marches organised via Facebook groups have increased.
Meanwhile, Sabarimala-related cyber crimes were also being reported. "Hate crimes have increased on the grounds of the Sabarimala issue. A culture has developed where an individual can abuse anyone, be it a minister, celebrities or women," he said.
Child pornography, which was once a rarity, is becoming a serious menace. "We have registered a case on child pornography last week which was followed by a raid. Cyberdome, a separate wing of the police, is working to reduce such crimes. Other than the complaints received from the victims, Cyberdome is also taking initiatives to help those who are abused on cyber-space but are afraid of bringing it to the notice of the authorities. The cyberdrome officials are expected to carry forward similar initiatives in the future ," said Prakash.
Caution to parents
"Parents must be extra vigilant of their wards and monitor the use of their mobile phones. They should also keep an eye on whom their children are speaking to via the mobile phones," Prakash said. "Kiki challenge is an example of the adverse effect of social media on youngsters. We don’t want this phenomenon to take over our children," he said.
According to the commissioner, children must be aware of the dos and don'ts while using mobile phones and the internet. "They should not share intimate pictures with anyone and must be aware of the dangers of morphed images," he said.