Cases of cyber fraud register increase in Sangam city

ATIQA OF KARELI LODGED AN FIR ALLEGING SHE LOST RS 60,000 IN THE NAME OF SELLING A BOOK

PRAYAGRAJ Cyber frauds have made hundreds of bank customers in Sangam city poorer by siphoning off Rs 1.75 crore since January this year, say police records. Conceding that cases of cyber frauds were on the rise, SP (crime) Ashutosh Mishra said cyber cell and cops at cyber police station were working hard to solve the cases.

Awareness among bank customers was also being raised to control incidents of cyber frauds, he added. In June this year, the high court had directed the superintendent of police (crime/cyber cell) Prayagraj to provide a complete chart mentioning similar details regarding online frauds committed in the district in the last one year.

Subsequently, Prayagraj police informed the court that 18 cases of fraud amounting to Rs 1 lakh to 19 lakh were registered in the district this year. The cases were lodged at cyber and local police stations and many cases were cracked. However, very few recoveries were made.

Those duped included some aged persons whose savings of lifetime was taken away by fraudsters. However, no concrete action could be taken in such cases by cops at cyber police station and local police. Cyber police also presented such cases in which cash of some fraud victims was saved following efforts by them.

Cyber frauds regularly change their modus operandi and devise new ways to trap bank customers. In recent cases, many youths are receiving messages of free laptop by the government for which they are asked to click on the given link for registration. Experts at cyber cell say bank customers fall in the trap as soon as they click on the given link. Experts warned people to stay from such messages and link sent to them.

In a recent incident, two persons, including an assistant professor, were targeted by cyber fraudsters. Resident of Allenganj, assistant professor Arun Kumar Mishra registered a case at Colonelganj police station claiming that he received a message for updating know your customer (KYC). Soon after he received a call on his mobile warning him that his SIM card may be blocked in case he failed to update KYC. Rs 1.60 lakh was deducted from his bank account soon after he shared all details, he alleged.