Telangana Sees Sharp Decline In 'Digital Arrests', Other Cybercrimes

Hyderabad: The sustained efforts of the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau to curb cyber crimes are yielding positive results. Over the past three months, various types of cyber frauds have seen a significant decline, particularly scams involving 'digital arrests', a form of cyber fraud where victims are intimidated into transferring large sums of money.

While the police are relieved by the dip, they remain cautious, anticipating that cybercriminals may devise new methods of fraud. Cybercrimes have been on the rise across the country, with Telangana alone registering 1.14 lakh complaints last year, amounting to financial losses of Rs 1,866 crore. Among these, 'digital arrests' accounted for the highest number of frauds, targeting top industrialists and senior officials.

In response to the alarming surge in cyber frauds, the Union Home Ministry took proactive steps, issuing public alerts on mobile phones to warn citizens about 'digital arrests.' Additionally, under the leadership of the Cyber Security Bureau director Shikha Goel, an extensive awareness campaign was launched across Telangana, under which 20,677 awareness programs were conducted, 186 cyber criminals were arrested, 14,885 SIM cards were blocked, and 9,811 mobile phones were frozen.

The statistics reflect a significant impact. In December last year, 401 cases of 'digital arrests' were reported from Telangana, which nosedived to less than a quarter by February this year, with a noticeable decline in the frequency of fraudulent calls.

Apart from 'digital arrests,' a fall has been observed in other cyber crimes like fake KYC updates leading to unauthorised withdrawals, scams involving TRAI impersonators threatening SIM card deactivation and credit card fraud — stealing details under the pretense of increasing the card limit.

Authorities continue to remain vigilant, emphasising the need for public awareness and caution to prevent cyber frauds in evolving forms.

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