'Awareness and alertness key to protection from cybercrimes'

Amid alarming rate of cybercrimes across the country, experts opine that awareness and alertness are key to protect from such crimes. Most of the cyber cases are related to OTP fraud, job offers, prize money deposit, fake personal/ professional FB profiles, matrimonial profiles, SIM card up-gradation, popular Online shopping sites among others.

Varanasi:The number of cybercrimes has skyrocketed in the recent past and cyber police have big challenges to trace the cases as a large number of cases get registered on a daily basis.

As many as 21 cases related to cybercrime have been registered in Varanasi so far, in which 5 cases have been solved by the police.

According to cyber station incharge of Varanasi, most of the cases were related to OTP fraud, job offers, prize money deposit, fake personal/ professional FB profiles, matrimonial profiles, SIM card up-gradation, popular Online shopping sites among others.

Speaking on the increasing rate of cybercrimes, Cyber expert and Professor of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Satya Singh said that cybercrimes are increasing as computers and mobile phones are being linked to bank accounts.

She said that despite spreading awareness by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Government of India, people get trapped by cybercriminals.

Professor Singh also said that one of the main cybercrimes is phishing, which is also known as Nigerian fraud.

She said, in order to dupe people through phishing, cybercriminals call and say 'You have got some prize money in a lottery and the relevant amount is to be credited to your account. However, your bank account details are required for this,' adding that as soon as receivers share their bank details, his money gets siphoned off.

She said that people should keep their banking and other important passwords secure.

People should create strong passwords because they are tough to be decoded. People need to be alert and aware, she advised.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, SSP Amit Pathak said that awareness is the most important thing in order to be safe from getting trapped.

"We have run awareness campaigns from time to time. Awareness videos and pamphlets have also been released to make people aware," he said.

He also asked people not to share the confidential details of their account numbers with anyone.