BENGALURU: Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda stressed the need to spot the dangers on social media to steer clear of cybercrimes. He was addressing the students and delegates during the India Cyber Security Summit at Christ University on Thursday.
India, which has the largest youth population, is witnessing rapid technological progress, which has also resulted in a surge in cybercrimes, he said, adding it is therefore necessary for the youth to be vigilant about the prevalent online crimes. So far, 20,000 cybercrime-related cases have been reported.
During the investigation as the case unfolds, factors like insecurity and mental health issues emerge which are exploited by criminals to trick the victims.
“Much of what circulates on social media is not necessarily reality,” he said on the inaugural day of the two-day summit.
Kids must be educated
Former Director General of Police (DGP) and other participants addressed significant topics on cyber threats, challenges, and the governmental policies and strategies in place.
Deceiving humans does not require technical expertise, but it is rather simple, said P Ravindranath, DGP, Training, pointing out that those who are educated, including children, fall prey to the online traps. In cases of sextortion and rape, criminals often build trust before the crime, he said. Parents should be aware of their children’s social media consumption and educate them to report any incidents, he advised.
Citing the Jamtara series, former DGP Amar Kumar Pandey said, “The series depicts only the surface of criminal activities, which actually is much deeper. It is important to report such cases to the police.” He added that cybercrime cases have been on the rise since the pandemic because more free time has led to a jump in phone usage. “Hence, it is important to know that government websites offer anonymous complaint registration options so all issues can be resolved without disclosing the identity,” he said.