Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 11: Emphasising that awareness is the most effective defence against rising cyber threats, officers from the Cybercrime Investigation Centre for Excellence (CICE), here, today said educating people about online fraud is the only way to stay safe in the digital age.
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Addressing media persons during an awareness-cum-interaction workshop with media professionals here, DySP Ashaiq Hussain Malik, SHO Police Station CICE, stressed the importance of awareness and cautioned people against falling into the trap of fraudsters.
“Awareness about cybercrime is the only way to stay safe from cyber frauds. If people are aware, they will be protected; those who are not fall into the trap of fraudsters,” he said.
Malik said the rapid expansion of technology and widespread use of smartphones have increased people’s vulnerability to cybercrime.
“Everyone today has a phone. Any internet-enabled gadget makes us susceptible to fraud. As technology grows, cyber frauds will also increase,” he said.
Highlighting emerging trends, he said different age groups face different vulnerabilities.
Youngsters, he noted, are often trapped in social media-related frauds, including hacking of email and WhatsApp accounts, online blackmail, and misuse of photographs using artificial intelligence.
“At the college stage, students are lured with fake offers of scholarships or higher education opportunities. They are asked to pay money, after which the fraudsters disappear,” he said.
He added that job seekers are similarly targeted through fraudulent employment offers, especially promises of jobs abroad, where victims are duped after making payments.
Malik also warned against attractive business proposals circulating online.
He stressed that unverified links must be avoided and personal credentials should never be shared.
He dismissed the concept of “digital arrest” as a tactic used by fraudsters to intimidate people.
“There is no such terminology. These scams can affect any age group, but fraudsters often target elderly people, especially those without support systems, as they are easier to intimidate,” he said, urging the public not to panic or fall into such traps.
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