Kolkata: 6,000 cyber complaints last year, Rs 6.3 crore recovered

KOLKATA: From university professors to traders and app-cab drivers, everyone has been susceptible to cyber crime. Last year alone, cops have recorded over 6,000 fraud or attempted fraud cases with cyber sleuths managing to stop as much as Rs 6.3 crore from reaching the fraudsters. On certain days, police are now receiving 30-35 such complaints, said sources.
According to NRCB, cyber frauds in Kolkata saw a five-time increase from the pre-pandemic 2018 to the pandemic-hit 2020.The figures are likely to see a sharp spurt in 2021, sources said. Recently, several university professors ended up losing Rs 20.5 lakh. A trader in Ballygunge lost Rs 23 lakh by investing in a fake cryptocurrency scheme. What shocked cops, though, was the ease with which an app-cab driver in the Port area ended up losing Rs 40,000. Similarly, a vendor risking his life savings and investing in cryptocurrency ended up losing a few lakhs.
“We have been told that the modus operandi is what we are fighting. Hence, the amount does not carry much significance,” said a senior Port department officer.
Cops said, with the pandemic bridging the digital divide as cross-sections of the society became dependent on smartphones to cope with the global challenge, it has made the lower middle-class and poorer sections of the society equally susceptible to cyber crimes, like those who were traditionally more vulnerable — people engaged in high-paying jobs, businesses, and professions.
This has led the city police to launch a massive campaign — which is no longer limited to the digital space — to spread awareness on multiple cyber frauds that now have victims who are geographically more spread out in the city.
“The campaign against cyber crime will now cover major crossings, markets and other public spots. We have prepared leaflets and posters in Bengali, English and Hindi, and distributed them at places where the population is the most vulnerable. We are also making public safety announcements to make people aware of the recent methods of fraud. It is clear fraudsters are shifting their operational base to the city and increasingly using local languages to win the trust of the poorer section. When cheated, their amounts might be low, but they will be equally hurt, if not more,” said an officer from the anti-bank fraud section.
In Burrabazar and New Market, police have asked private bank officials to join them to spread awareness on cyber fraud among residents. In attendance were several traders and senior citizens — considered the most prone to cyber crime attacks. The residents were also told of non-banking frauds and methods to keep safe while ordering online or in a work-from-home experience. In the Port area, the cops were more blunt — keeping the session limited to do’s and don’ts. “We are tweaking our awareness campaigns based on requirements and cyber-crime patterns from specific areas,” said an officer.