VIJAYAWADA: With the introduction of one of the largest economic reforms demonetisation- last year, the incidence of cyber crimes in Vijayawada has also shot up. As many as 190 cases of cyber crimes pertaining to bank account verification frauds, OTP frauds, online lotteries and business investment cheating were registered since January this year till date.
Going by the statistics released by Vijayawada police during a awareness meeting with bank officials, while just three cases were registered in 2014, 10 cases were reported in 2015. 67 hi-tech crimes surfaced in 2016. Cyber crime officials said that it is not that demonetisation has had a direct impact on the rise of online frauds but cyber criminals use demonetization as an excuse to suss out OTPs and passwords. Those who use internet for long hours are more vulnerable to fall prey to cyber frauds. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP, L&O-I) Gajarao Bhupal said cyber criminals are on the look out for highly active internet users and mostly target them.
They obtain basic details of users like date of birth and contact number through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Once they obtain the basic data, they try to devise ways to reach the victim and gets details of their bank account numbers and other confidential information. “Once they receive the details, the offenders draw money from the victim’s account. Cases of cyber crime and online frauds in the city have shot up shockingly after demonetisation,” said the DCP.
Asking denizens to be aware of online transactions, he further said mostly illiterates and housewives reveal confidential information like debit card number, CVV and passwords of bank account. They receive warnings that their accounts will be closed on failure to complete online verification process. “Out of panic, the naive customers end up giving account details. Out of the 190 cases, we have solved a few and reimbursed the lost amount to them,” he told. Bhupal said they traced the whereabouts of scamsters in Jamtara in Jharkhand and New Delhi.
“Mostly Nigerians centred around Delhi and other Northern States are responsible for these cyber crimes. We are gathering more information about the scamsters,” the DCP told. Requesting online fraud victims to approach police at the earliest, the DCP said the chances of recovering money lost online or in other bank frauds is very less. “With the recent guidelines to banks on online transactions that if there is no involvement reported from the victim in a transaction in any manner, the amount lost will be reimbursed to his account” he added.