The Rajasthan government has released a detailed advisory to raise awareness about cybersecurity and cyber hygiene. Officials are urging the public to be cautious due to the increasing incidents of digital arrest scams and call forwarding frauds. Cybercriminals are pretending to be law enforcement or investigative agency officials to intimidate victims into paying money by threatening legal action.
In these scams, fraudsters contact individuals through various means like phone calls, video calls, or Interactive Voice Response calls. They falsely claim to represent agencies such as the Police, CBI, ED, FBI, or Department of Telecommunications. Some even go to the extent of setting up fake police stations to appear more convincing.
Victims are coerced into believing they are involved in serious crimes like drug trafficking or money laundering. Scammers use tactics like threatening to implicate family members or demanding money for settlement to keep victims engaged in continuous video calls. The advisory emphasizes that no legitimate agency conducts arrests digitally or demands money over the phone.
Authorities also warn about call forwarding scams where criminals pose as delivery agents and trick victims into dialing specific USSD codes. By activating call forwarding through these codes, fraudsters can redirect important calls leading to potential hacking of bank accounts and social media profiles. To safeguard against such fraud, citizens are advised to avoid dialing unknown USSD codes and report any suspicious activity promptly.
The Rajasthan Home Department is urging citizens to stay vigilant, refrain from responding impulsively to dubious calls or messages, and report cybercrimes promptly. Complaints can be lodged at the nearest police station, through the Cyber Helpline ‘1930’, or online at cybercrime.gov.in. It is crucial to report any financial losses promptly to enhance the chances of recovery.
