Do not fall prey to cyber fraudsters

Stories of rigged gambling games and cheating at local village festivals may seem amusing to the younger generation today. But fraud and robbery have evolved over the years, giving rise to a new breed of cybercriminals. These criminals now make video calls through WhatsApp, pose as investigating officers and threaten people with fake criminal cases. They even place judges and senior government officials under so-called 'virtual arrest'.

However, a report by Kochi reporter Sreehari Radhakrishnan, published in Kerala Kaumudi yesterday, cited data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to show that virtual arrest scams have declined due to the vigilance of investigative agencies and banks. At the same time, a case reported from Kozhikode makes it clear that although cyber scams in the state have generally declined, they have not been completely curbed. According to the report, cybercriminals swindled Rs 1.35 crore from a housewife in Kottooli by posing as Mumbai Crime Branch officials. They contacted her through a video call and threatened her with a fake criminal case.

Such scams usually begin with fraudsters claiming that unidentified individuals have obtained fake SIM cards using the victim's Aadhaar number. They then allege that mobile phones linked to these SIM cards were used for smuggling or drug trafficking and that money from these illegal activities has been deposited in the victim's bank account. The fraudsters often pose as CBI or Crime Branch officers, even appearing in police uniforms during video calls. They tell victims that they are under virtual arrest and must remain inside their homes. They then demand that the victims transfer the money in their bank accounts for verification and other procedures. Fearing that they could be implicated in drug trafficking or smuggling cases, many victims secretly transfer their money to the fraudsters, believing that doing so will help them escape legal action.

There have been instances in which bank officials have saved customers from such scams. Suspicious of customers who arrived to withdraw large sums of money to hand over to fraudsters, bank employees intervened and prevented the transactions. Recovering the money and proving the cases can be extremely difficult, as the fraudsters often operate from other countries. The CBI is investigating virtual arrest scams as part of Operation Chakra. In cases where the fraudsters operated from within India, raids were conducted at 400 locations, leading to the arrest of 75 people so far. According to the records of the state Cyber Police, up to 20 per cent of the money lost to cyber fraud has been recovered or frozen. In 2024, the country recorded 92,323 cyber fraud cases, resulting in losses of more than Rs 1,925 crore.

However, vigilance and awareness campaigns by the Central government, the Reserve Bank of India and investigating agencies have helped reduce such crimes. Last year, 58,239 cyber fraud cases were registered, with the total financial loss coming down to Rs 650 crore. Despite being active users of the digital world, ordinary people often remain unaware of the dangers lurking online. This lack of awareness allows such scams to continue. Cyber literacy should be introduced as a subject at the high school level, while the police should strengthen public awareness campaigns. The first and most important step is for every individual to understand that the money in their bank account should never be handed over to fraudsters under any circumstances.