Sangareddy: Techies, educated persons form majority of cybercrime victims

During the first three months of 2024 (From January 1 to March 31), the district recorded 1,058 cybercrime cases, with victims losing Rs.9.89 crore to cyber crooks.

Sangareddy:  Higher levels of education and familiarity with technology should usually help people stay away from the cunning tricks of cyber fraudsters. But the incidence of cybercrime in Sangareddy, which is a mix of both urban and rural areas, shows it is the educated people, especially people working with software firms, who are falling prey to cybercrime despite their familiarity with tech.

During the first three months of 2024 (From January 1 to March 31), the district recorded 1,058 cybercrime cases, with victims losing Rs.9.89 crore to cyber crooks. Interestingly, nearly 50 percent of these cases were reported under the Ameenpur and Patancheru Police stations, the limits of both which are completely urban. While Ameenpur Police Station registered 301 cases, Patancheru Police registered 221 cases in these three months. Most of the victims, according to officials, were either software engineers or well-educated persons working in other sectors.

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A software engineer, residing in AR Brundavan Colony in Ameenpur, was lured by cyber fraudsters offering to show more profits in online trading. The fraudsters gave him a month-long training on online trading. Later, he was asked to create an account for himself before asking to deposit the amount. He deposited Rs.72.90 lakh in 16 instalments beginning from February 21.

When he realised that he was cheated, he approached the Ameenpur police. Another software engineer, a resident of Beeramguda under Ameenpur Police Station, lost Rs.11.10 lakh. The victim was asked to complete some tasks online offering a lucrative part-time job. When the fraudsters stopped responding to his messages after depositing the amount, the victim approached Ameenpur Police on March 7.

Speaking to Telangana Today, District Cyber Crime Coordination Centre DSP N Venugopal Reddy said Sangareddy district was recording more cybercrime cases than any of the districts in Telangana after the Cyberabad, Rachakonda and Hyderabad Police Commissionerates. Most of the victims were being lured on social media platforms by offering part-time jobs, or other additional income sources. Shockingly, highly educated persons were falling prey to these fraudsters than people living in rural areas.

Stating that the police were planning to organise a host of educative programmes to sensitise people on cybercrime, he said they would reach out to potential victims by hosting the programmes in residential colonies, industries, colleges and other places by making other stakeholders as partners.

The police had recovered Rs 1.26 crore out of the swindled Rs.9.89 crore from fraudsters’ bank accounts, which would be returned to the victims after completing formalities.