‘Jammu sees surge in four typical crimes in 2023′
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, June 26: Jammu and Kashmir Police have taken a significant step towards combating cyber crimes by implementing an advanced technology at the District Police Headquarters.
This technology, previously exclusive to the Cyber Cell Jammu, has been successfully deployed in remote districts like Kishtwar and Doda, with plans for further expansion to other districts in the region.
A senior police officer posted at Cyber Cell Jammu explained that the technology includes built-in portals capable of tracing the bank account details of the fraudsters.
The portals, acquired with the assistance of the Kerala Police, have already proven instrumental in solving numerous cyber crime cases, leading to the arrest of perpetrators from various States including Bharatpur and Alwar in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
The police officer said that the fraudsters have been making gullible people of Jammu region their victims using four specific types of cyber crimes “and there has been a massive surge in these crimes in the year 2023 compared to the previous year.”
The first type involves scammers posing as customer service representatives on popular shopping sites such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra. They engage victims in refund and return-related queries, tricking them into paying small amounts through provided links to facilitate the return or refund of their products. Through these links containing masked apps such as AnyDesk and RustDesk, the fraudsters gain access to the victim’s UPI ID and other bank details, draining their accounts.
The second prevalent fraud scheme targets individuals by impersonating utility service providers. Fraudsters contact victims, claiming overdue electricity bills and threatening disconnection unless immediate online payments are made. Exploiting the victims’ fear, scammers deceive them into paying small amounts through links. Armed with this information, the fraudsters swiftly withdraw all the money, leaving victims with significant financial losses.
The third type of fraud targets users of popular online marketplace platforms like OLX. Scammers exploit victims’ trust by offering items at lower rates and requesting money transfers. Once victims send the money, the fraudsters either disappear or demand further payments until the victim realizes they have been deceived.
The final type involves fraudsters impersonating military personnel to gain the trust of victims on internet sites or WhatsApp. They may request services such as transportation, and upon reaching the designated location, the fraudsters ask for a small payment as an entry fee. Once the payment is made through a link, the fraudsters gain access to drain the victims’ accounts using masked apps.
DySP Cyber Cell Jammu, Anubhuti, emphasized that the fraudsters are typically highly uneducated individuals who learn the necessary technology from each other. They avoid using expensive phones that can be easily traced and operate from common areas or in organized gangs. Both men and women are involved in these fraudulent activities.
Anubhuti advised victims of cyber fraud to file a timely complaint to mitigate the impact of the scams.
“If reported within 24 hours, there is a possibility of recovering funds by requesting the bank to halt the fraudsters’ withdrawal attempts,” she said.
However, she claimed that once the money is withdrawn, tracing the culprits becomes challenging as their preferred withdrawal locations lack CCTV surveillance.
“Freezing accounts receiving funds through fraudulent activities is also recommended to deter further criminal actions,” she said.
In the event of discovering a fraud, Anubhuti urged the victims to take immediate action by uninstalling fraudulent apps, performing a factory reset on their phones, and promptly contacting their bank branch and the police helpline (1930) for assistance and guidance.
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