Cyber crime up in Bengaluru police warns of fake calls, texts
BENGALURU: From January to May 15, 2023, Bengaluru recorded 3,140 cyber crimes. According to data shared by the Cyber Crime Division (CCD) of Bengaluru, in the past five months, a total of Rs 50,95,85,037 was marauded during various cyber crimes committed through messages and calls.
Ravindra K Gadadi, Deputy Commissioner, Command Centre, Bengaluru, told TNIE that CCD officials have so far recovered Rs 9,33,49,639. Of this, Rs 88,48,0373 is yet to be transferred to the complainants’ accounts and it will be held till investigations are complete. However, Rs 48,69,266 has been directly transferred to the accounts of the victims immediately after they filed complaints.
He said that individuals should be more vigilant of cyber crimes. “Nothing comes for free. So if someone is offering you free money, never take it at face value, and report the crime immediately,” he added.
Gadadi stated, if money is debited illegally, the police needs to be intimated, who will then inform the associated banks and direct them to block the money. This is called ‘Golden Hour’ and is very crucial. Swift action by the complainant can avoid money being transferred by the accused to other accounts, which further delays the recovery process.
Experts said that such crimes can be easily noticed and traced. “Unusual activity on one’s account, phishing messages, unexpected financial transactions and attempts to log in are some clues to follow,” said Trishneet Arora, founder & CEO, TAC Security.
Gadadi observed that cyber crimes have become frequent in the city, and youngsters are often getting trapped. “Approach banks and get your doubts clarified, if any, regarding OTPs, links and SMS that say money has been debited or credited to your account and don’t fall for fake messages,” he warned.
As per the report, a large number of frauds have taken place via UPI (1853), followed by calls (783), internet banking (387), debit and credit cards (88), job offers (28) and cryptocurrency (1). Experts at TAC Security recommend there is a need for a multi-faceted approach to combat such crimes. Awareness, robust legislation and international liaisons between governments and private sectors were a few suggestions that help enterprises and governments from cybercrime.
