Hyderabad: Nearly 60 per cent of the money lost by cybercrime victims in Telangana is linked to stock-market and investment scams, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) Director Shikha Goel, IPS, said on Tuesday.
Rs 455 crore recovered
The Telangana Cyber Police have recovered Rs 455 crore lost to cyber fraudsters over the past two years, Goel said, warning that fraudsters are increasingly exploiting trust, fear, greed and urgency to manipulate victims into transferring money themselves.
She was speaking at ‘Conversation on Cybersecurity: When Trust Becomes the Weapon – The New Battle for the Human Mind’, organised by Symposium in collaboration with the Telangana State Police, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau and Cyberabad Police at Hotel Avasa, Madhapur. More than 200 people attended.
Investment scams from abroad are a major cyber threat
Shikha Goel said cybercrime networks have become increasingly organised, with several operations being run from outside India, including Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Fraudsters use sophisticated call centres, sometimes with people from different countries speaking the language of their targets, she said. Multiple layers, locations and time zones make it difficult for investigators to reach the masterminds.
“Cybercrime is one of the most organised crimes. At the same time, it is also one of the most preventable crimes,” Goel said, attributing many victims’ losses to fear, greed and lack of awareness.
Her advice was simple: “Pause, think and verify before you act.”
‘Trust has become a weapon’
The discussion was moderated by Air Vice Marshal (Dr) Devesh Vatsa, VSM, Cyber Security and Critical Technologies Advisor at DSCI and former Indian Air Force officer.
Using the Ramayana’s Lakshman Rekha as an analogy, Vatsa described it as the “original firewall”—a boundary designed to protect against a threat.
He said cybercriminals were increasingly weaponising basic human emotions.
“Cybercrime is nothing but greed, lust and fear,” he said, adding that the weaponisation of trust was becoming a strategy.
Vatsa also stressed the importance of sustained awareness as October approaches, observed annually as Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
AI dependence could weaken human judgement: Duggal
Cyber-law expert and Supreme Court Advocate Dr Pavan Duggal warned against allowing Artificial Intelligence to replace human thinking.
“God has given you the ability to discern and join the dots. Use that ability. Don’t let that skill die,” he advised.
Duggal cautioned against using AI for every everyday decision and said excessive dependence could lead to the “decay of the human mind.”
He also warned users against treating AI-generated information as unquestionable truth.
Call for dedicated AI, deepfake laws
Duggal called for dedicated laws governing AI and deepfakes, pointing to regulatory developments in countries including China, South Korea, Japan, Hungary and El Salvador.
He also stressed the need for accountability when AI causes harm.
Referring to the Draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence in Courts, 2026, prepared under the Supreme Court’s AI Committee, he said responsible AI use must retain human and judicial oversight.
“We have become cognitive slaves to AI. Respect the cognitive minds of people,” he said.
Your mobile number is sensitive information
Cybersecurity expert and Indian Infosec Consortium CEO Jiten Jain urged people to treat their mobile numbers as sensitive personal information.
He advised citizens to question why a business needs their number before routinely sharing it, warning that phone numbers can become entry points for social-engineering and identity-related fraud.
The target is often your trust
Cybersecurity enthusiast and ethical hacker Shubhank Singhai said a cybercriminal’s most valuable target may not be a server or bank account, but the victim’s trust.
He highlighted the growing use of social engineering, impersonation, cloned voices and AI-generated content.
“Some of the biggest attacks today don’t begin with malicious code. They begin with a phone call, a message, a familiar face or a voice that sounds just like someone we love,” he said.
Five ways to avoid a cyber scam
The symposium’s central message was that cybersecurity is as much about human judgement as technology.
Remember these five rules:
– Pause: Don’t act under pressure or a threat of immediate consequences.
– Verify: Independently confirm investment offers, callers and payment requests.
– Protect credentials: Never share OTPs, PINs, passwords or banking details.
– Guard your number: Ask why your mobile number is being collected and where it may be used.
– Question familiar voices and faces: A cloned voice or AI-generated video is not proof of identity. Verify through a known channel before transferring money.
The rule to remember: Pause. Think. Verify. Then act.
Cyber-awareness drive reaches 5.95 lakh employees and pensioners
The symposium also unveiled public-interest cybersecurity videos and awareness material prepared with the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau.
The initiative is aimed at nearly 2.95 lakh pensioners and more than 3 lakh serving employees across Telangana.
The material will be distributed through gazetted officers associated with Symposium’s collaborations to expand cybersecurity awareness across the State.
Symposium Managing Trustee Shruti Mallpani said the real battle was not technology but human judgement, and that the forum aimed to help citizens understand emerging threats and make safer decisions online.
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