DCP underscores urgent need for awareness to combat various forms of cybercrime

Hyderabad: Cybercrime Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) K. Narsimha, on Saturday underscored the urgent need for awareness and proactive measures to combat various forms of cybercrime.

The DCP emphasised that by and large any citizen can be susceptible to cybercrimes and victims should not hesitate to approach the police.

The Cyberabad Police are here to support and assist victims, Narsimha said while addressing at the Cybercrime awareness session organized by the Cyberabad Police Department, in collaboration with the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC),at Kanha Shanti Vanam in Shamshabad, on the outskirts of the city.

Reporting suspicious activity or cybercrime incidents promptly can prevent further harm and aid in bringing perpetrators to justice, he said.

Victims are urged to report cybercrimes by calling 1930 or visiting https://cybercrime.gov.in.

The DCP highlighted the rise in cybercrimes such as financial fraud, identity theft, ransomware attacks, and espionage.

He stressed how the anonymity of the internet enables offenders to evade detection, exploiting rapid technological growth.

Investment fraud, Courier and Trai call scams were identified as prevalent issues, Narsimha said that in investment fraud, fraudsters promise high returns, gain trust, and then disappear with the money.

The FedEx scam involves a counterfeit parcel delivery from a trusted company, fraudsters impersonating as police & tricking victims believe that they have committed a crime and threatening a Police action against them – and making the victim transfer the amount to fraudsters bank account to avoid arrests / further police action, he said.

The DCP and his team advised using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, being cautious with emails and links, and keeping software updated.

They also stressed the importance of educating oneself and others about cybercrime trends, regularly backing up important data, securing devices with encryption, and avoiding public Wi-Fi and unverified APK files.

Cybersecurity experts from SCSC and the Cyberabad Police Department, including Abhishek Kumar (Joint Secretary, SCSC), K. Rajendra Prasad (Associate Director, SCSC), Y. Bhanu Murthy (Senior Manager, Cyber Security), Srinivas Katkam (Inspector), and Shagani Ramesh (Inspector), provided valuable insights into the latest cybercrime trends and shared practical security tips.

ACP Cybercrimes Ravindra Reddy and ACP Chandrakanth also joined the program, contributing their expertise.