Mysuru: Despite awareness about digital arrest, retired govt officers continue to fall prey to cybercriminals operating clandestinely from a corner.
Now, city police have taken the awareness to another level, where police, under the new beat, are educating the public about cybercrimes given the huge loss of money. In just over four months, nearly 50 gullible bank customers from different professions, including doctors, retired workers, bank employees, private firm employees, job aspirants, and home-makers, were tricked by the scammers.
Their money was defrauded using tricks like fake investment schemes, fake verification calls, fake job offers, and fake parcel delivery traps. The latest is digital arrest, where callers dress up like police officers and make WhatsApp calls to unwitting public.
An 80-year-old retired employee was tricked into transferring Rs 11.8 lakh over a video call in April. The callers introduced themselves as Mumbai police and threatened him. A source claimed another retired person also fell into the trap and lost lakhs of rupees in a ‘digital arrest’ case.
Police educating residents during walks in parks
Police commissioner Seema Latkar admitted that despite regular awareness programmes and awareness caller tunes, residents continue to ignore warnings and are losing money from their accounts. Now, under the new beat system, policemen are educating residents during their morning and evening walks in parks and public places by enquiring if the public have received any such messages or calls. Police meet office-goers, college students, senior citizens, employees, and retired people, and are able to prevent crimes such as chain-snatching and robbery with their presence in public places.
An officer said that public should stop responding to suspicious calls and clicking on unknown links, as banks and police won’t contact them for any inquiry over calls. Also, people should understand that there is no such scheme where money gets doubled quickly, even in stock investments.
Now, city police have taken the awareness to another level, where police, under the new beat, are educating the public about cybercrimes given the huge loss of money. In just over four months, nearly 50 gullible bank customers from different professions, including doctors, retired workers, bank employees, private firm employees, job aspirants, and home-makers, were tricked by the scammers.
Their money was defrauded using tricks like fake investment schemes, fake verification calls, fake job offers, and fake parcel delivery traps. The latest is digital arrest, where callers dress up like police officers and make WhatsApp calls to unwitting public.
An 80-year-old retired employee was tricked into transferring Rs 11.8 lakh over a video call in April. The callers introduced themselves as Mumbai police and threatened him. A source claimed another retired person also fell into the trap and lost lakhs of rupees in a ‘digital arrest’ case.
Police educating residents during walks in parks
Police commissioner Seema Latkar admitted that despite regular awareness programmes and awareness caller tunes, residents continue to ignore warnings and are losing money from their accounts. Now, under the new beat system, policemen are educating residents during their morning and evening walks in parks and public places by enquiring if the public have received any such messages or calls. Police meet office-goers, college students, senior citizens, employees, and retired people, and are able to prevent crimes such as chain-snatching and robbery with their presence in public places.
An officer said that public should stop responding to suspicious calls and clicking on unknown links, as banks and police won’t contact them for any inquiry over calls. Also, people should understand that there is no such scheme where money gets doubled quickly, even in stock investments.
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