Between January and August of this year, residents of Visakhapatnam lost more than Rs 46 crore to cybercriminals. The development of technology has given fraudsters more tools with which to deceive people.
Police in the city have received over 240 complaints about cybercrime in the last eight months. It is believed that in Vizag city alone, at least 10 to 20 people fall victim to cyber frauds every day.
Over the last few months, there has been a sudden surge in cases. Cybercrime poses a greater risk than just monetary loss. Cybercrimes that are taken seriously include trafficking, identity theft, cyberstalking, and the dissemination of pornography.
Over 13,000 persons in Vizag city have been victims of cybercrime, according to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which has cost the city’s police department over Rs. 100 crores in damages over the years.
Eighteen crore of this total were blocked in several bank accounts. 150 victims have received 4.6 crore of the frozen money, according to the city police.
According to K Bhavani Prasad, inspector of the cybercrimes police station, cybercriminals use a variety of techniques, such as dating and matrimony applications, to identify victims to trap and steal money from. Recently, a number of Vizag city residents were duped by scammers using phony applications under the guise of investing in stock markets.
“Cybercriminals are finding creative ways to steal people’s hard-earned money. Vizag city police have been learning advanced technicalities through various sources to solve cases faster and to create awareness among netizens on cybercrimes,” he added.
It is recalled that Vizag witnessed 419 major cybercrimes in 2023. Cybercrooks stole more than 32 crore from the locals. In 2022, 16.33 crore was stolen from netizens. In 2021, cybercrooks duped 9.32 crore from Vizag residents in 279 cases, using various methods. “The cybercrimes have been increasing in many parts of the state for the past few years. If victims report the crime promptly within one hour, the lost money can be frozen immediately. This allows us to proceed legally and return the money to the victims,” the cops added.
Also read: Unveiling the Ethical Imperatives: Navigating the Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity
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