News Analysis India

Tag: Cyber Crime

  • Noida man arrested for sharing girlfriend’s objectionable photos, videos on social media

    By PTI
    NOIDA: A 25-year-old man was arrested here on Wednesday for allegedly sharing on Facebook and Instagram objectionable photos and videos of a college student he was in a relationship with, police said.

    He also threatened to harm the woman when she confronted him, they said.

    The woman, who lives in Bhangel village, informed the police following which an FIR was lodged at the Phase 2 police station on Tuesday, an official said.

    “The woman told the police that she and the accused were in a relationship and he had posted objectionable photos and videos of her on Facebook and Instagram. When confronted by the woman, the accused threatened to harm her,” a police spokesperson said.

    The accused, who works with a private company and stays in the same neighbourhood as the woman, was on the run after the woman complained to the police but was caught near the Sector 82 cut on Wednesday, the official said.

    The FIR has been lodged under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, the spokesperson said.

  • Alarming rise in cyber crimes in Bihar sends cops into a tizzy

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar is witnessing an alarming rise in cyber crimes with a number of people being duped of their hard earned money by fraudsters.

    This was admitted by the minister in charge of Home Sharavn Kumar in the assembly on Wednesday when 11 legislators of both ruling and opposition camps raised the issue of growing cyber crimes.

    Accepting the members’ concerns, the minister assured them that the state police are working comprehensively to check cyber crimes in the state. Citing figures, the minister said that 309 cyber crimes were registered in 2016 in Bihar followed by 433 in 2017, 474 in 2018 and 1050 in 2019.

    Meanwhile, police sources said if cyber crimes are not checked early, they will bog down the entire policing system in future. Bihar, after Jharkhand and West Bengal, is witnessing a rise in cyber crimes in eastern India while holding the 10th rank among all states and UTs in the country.

    The districts reporting maximum cases are Kishanganj, Purnia, Vaishali, Patna, Siwan, Gopalganj, Kaimur, Nawada, Jamui, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and Gaya. In 2020, five persons were arrested from a village in Nawada district by the Chhattisgarh police on the charge of duping a retired scientist of DRDO of a sum of Rs 14 lakh, claiming that he was getting a car through the lottery.

    A youth from Vaishali district in May 2020 was also arrested by police for duping people on the pretext of providing Rs 15000 as aid from the Prime Minister Cash Relief Scheme. The arrested youth was sending messages to people asking them to fill an online form to get financial assistance through the scheme. A NALCO officer of Bihar was also duped of Rs 40 lakh by a cyber-fraudster in 2020.

    Most of those who fall victim to cyber crimes happen to be those from rural areas and women in the name of ATM verification.

    Taking serious note of the rise in cyber crimes, ADG of Economic Offence Unit (EOU) NH Khan said that 74 cyber units have been formed in every district to curb them besides carrying out a massive awareness campaign among the people through various means of communication by the police.

    He said that an appeal is regularly being made to the public to report any kind of suspected attempt of cyber crime on 0612-2216236 or the police helpline on 18603456999.

    Of late, demanding money from hacked Facebook accounts has become a common practice in Bihar. “The EOU has circulated an advisory of do’s and don’ts on Facebook to remain safe from cyber hackers,” Khan said. “A five-day training is also provided to the cops and more than 700 police personnel including more than 250 SHOs and 75 public prosecutors have been trained in detection and prosecution of cyber frauds,” an official source said.

    Amid the rising cyber crimes, the demand for setting up separate cyber-police stations in every district has started gaining momentum. Eleven MLAs had demanded it on Wednesday in the assembly but it was turned down by the minister in charge of Home.

  • Maharashtra: Teacher cheated of Rs 10 lakh by cyber fraudsters

    By PTI
    AURANGABAD: A 50-year-old teacher from Nanded in Maharashtra was cheated of Rs 10 lakh by two persons under the pretext of securing admission for his son in a private medical college, police said on Tuesday.

    Police have identified the two accused who hail from Bengaluru for allegedly luring the victim Datta Khanzode, a resident of Vijay Nagar in Nanded city.

    The victim wanted to enrol his son for a medical course and was searching for admission on internet, when he received a call from one of the accused, a police officer said.

    “The accused told Khanzode that they will help his son get an admission in a private medical college and demanded Rs 10 lakh.

    The victim was told to visit a website and was asked to transfer Rs 10 lakh in a bank account on December 30 and 31,” the Shivajinagar police station official told PTI.

    The victim believed the accused as they enquired about the application made by his son for a medical course.

    However, after transferring the money, Khanzode suspected that something was amiss and informed the police.

    With the help of the police, the amount of Rs 5 lakh of the total Rs 10 lakh transferred has been put on hold, the official said.

    “Police are trying to trace the trail of Rs 5 lakh which has already been transferred,” said assistant police inspector (API) and investigating officer Manik Doke.

    Police are yet to make any arrest in the case, he added.

    The duo has been booked under section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).