Cyber Jagrookta Diwas: City police seek community collaboration to combat cybercrime

HYDERABAD: The Cyber Crime Police Station of Hyderabad City Police wanted the public to maintain cyber hygiene while using social networking sites to prevent them from becoming victims of cybercrime.

On the occasion of ‘Cyber Jagarookta Diwas’ on the first Wednesday of every month and a proactive effort to educate and empower the community against the rising threats of cybercrime, the police conducted a comprehensive cybercrimes awareness session at FIITJEE College, Saifabad.

The initiative, aimed at equipping students with essential knowledge and skills to navigate the digital landscape securely, was well-received by attendees. The session highlighted risks and issues involved in social networking sites along with the demonstration of best practices and cyber hygiene to be developed by end users of these social networking sites, to prevent them from being a victim of cybercrime including secure password management, recognising phishing attempts, and safeguarding personal information online.

Participants were educated on various aspects of electronic payment security, types of fraud, and their prevention were discussed in an interactive webinar session. The topics were based on real-life incidents of cybercrime such as phishing, vishing, juice jacking, skimming, UPI frauds, and unauthorised remote accesses. Awareness was imparted to users on how they could protect themselves from fraud while fully utilizing the benefits of electronic payments.

The session provided with insights into common types of investment frauds circulating online, task-based work including ponzi schemes, pump-and-dump schemes, and cryptocurrency scams. Participants learned how to recognise red flags and avoid falling victim to these deceptive practices.

Cybercrime police shared insights into current cyber threats the role of law enforcement in combating online criminal activities and the ways to report cyber crime through national helpline number 1930. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in a question-and-answer session with the police officers.

The Hyderabad city police emphasised the importance of community collaboration in combating cyber threats and it would remain committed to fostering a safer community through proactive education and engagement initiatives. Future sessions and workshops were also planned to continue addressing emerging challenges in the realm of cybercrime.

The Session was handled by T. Vinay Kumar, sub-inspector of police, under the direct supervision of Dy. Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crimes K. Shilpavalli and Asst. Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crimes Shiva Maruthi.