THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rural district police chief Kiran Narayanan on Saturday urged the public to be cautious of online fraud, and advised people to verify investment opportunities, job offers, and unexpected parcels.
Out of 217 reported cyber crimes, 190 involved online frauds, resulting in a loss of Rs 12.76 crore. So far, Rs 1.32 crore has been frozen and Rs 6,28,576 returned to victims.
“In Aruvikkara, victims lost Rs 1.28 crore and in Kadakkavoor Rs 1.06 crore through investment and task scams. A total of Rs 7.92 crore was lost through 75 investment scams, Rs 1.57 crore through 21 parcel scams, Rs 1.06 crore through 19 job frauds, Rs 41.67 lakh through one crypto scam, and Rs 1.79 crore through other scams,” said rural district police chief.
Cybercriminals use high-configuration Virtual Private Servers (VPS) to mask their IP addresses and access victims’ bank accounts through internet banking.
Police identified 72 compromised bank accounts and alerted the cyber operations headquarters. “Fraudsters exploit social media to lure victims into fake investment opportunities, promising high returns with minimal risk. They add victims to group chats on Telegram or WhatsApp and persuade them to invest in fraudulent apps. These apps initially show fake profits but later demand additional investments or fees for withdrawals, resulting in financial losses. In some cases, fraudsters entice victims with tasks to earn money instead of direct investments, leading to similar scams,” added rural SP.