PANAJI
Last month, the Cyber Crime Police cracked a major fraud case with the arrest of a Kerala youth Aflal K who scammed a Sancoale man of Rs 1.18 crore by fabricating a fear of illegal substance smuggling from across the border.
This is just one of several cyber frauds being reported to the police and while it remains prevalent, the rampant misuse of social media platforms particularly Instagram and Snapchat has raised concerns.
Three recent cases, all involving educational institutions, were reported within less than three months. In the most recent incident, Kendriya Vidyalaya fell victim to derogatory content posted against faculty members. Last December, nine Instagram accounts linked to minor girls from a prestigious school in Panaji were investigated for allegedly sharing manipulated videos of their schoolmates.
In another case, a college student alleged that a Snapchat ID “Shripad” and four other IDs had befriended her, later recorded her objectionable pictures and videos and began threatening to leak them if his ‘sexual demands’ were not met.
According to preliminary data, the Cyber Crime Cell has registered 49 cases in 2022 -- one of the highest -- and 13 cases in just two months of this year. In 2021, there were 20 cases, and in 2023 saw 31 FIRs.
However, these figures are of cases registered with the Cyber Cell. The broader picture, as per NCRB records, shows a concerning trend across police stations, with a total of 166 cybercrime cases reported from 2020 to 2022 -- 40 cases in 2020, 36 in 2021 and 90 in 2022.
The State is placing particular emphasis on the cyber safety of women besides the cyber scams. PI Mira D’Silva highlighted a dedicated cyber portal number in the police control room.
“We receive various fraud-related calls, such as UPI, credit and debit card fraud, and instances where banks remove money unexpectedly. These complaints are promptly registered, and the relevant authorities, including banks, are informed for further action,” she said.
The Cyber Police are also closely monitoring instances where minor school and college-going girls share explicit photos and videos with their boyfriends during relationships. Citing that these sensitive materials are later exploited, the police have called on parents to keep a close watch on their children.
