Hyderabad: Urging citizens to stay vigilant against cybercrime, Hyderabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar on Wednesday said that while thefts and burglaries caused losses of around Rs 30 crore over the past year, cybercrime victims lost nearly Rs 400 crore annually.Speaking at a cyber awareness programme, the commissioner said fraudsters are increasingly targeting the elderly through scams involving digital arrests, pension services and online banking.The officials also launched the ‘Suraksha Ka Tiranga’ poster during the event.Sajjanar cautioned citizens against fraudsters posing as officials from the CBI, ED, RBI or the police and threatening them with ‘digital arrests.’ He clarified that no concept of a ‘digital arrest’ exists under Indian law and advised people not to fall for such intimidation tactics.Former DGP-rank officer M Ratan, who also participated in the event, shared preventive measures to safeguard against financial fraud. He said he had instructed his bank not to clear any cheque without his prior consent and that he receives an alert whenever a transaction exceeding Rs 5,000 is attempted.He also urged citizens never to share OTPs with anyone, irrespective of the urgency or circumstances.Meanwhile, the Cyberabad police launched a month-long ‘Suraksha Ka Tiranga’ awareness campaign by organising an event attended by nearly 800 students from various colleges.Cyberabad police commissioner M Ramesh Reddy said that nearly 60% of cybercrime cases are related to investment fraud. He advised students to be cautious while responding to online investment offers, avoid schemes promising unrealistic returns, verify the authenticity of investment platforms and advisers before investing, and report cyber fraud immediately.
