Cyber criminals have been actively starting their work in recent times. In the name of digital arrests, criminals are targeting innocent people, sending fake links and extorting money from many people. In particular, cyber criminals are breaking new ground in their practices. In this context, the police have provided some important tips in view of the increasing number of victims. A CI from Vijayawada was the victim of a phone call from cyber criminals. They threatened him by saying that there was a road accident in Mumbai two days ago, a person died and that the Mumbai police had filed a case against him. Moreover, they demanded money in the name of “digital arrest”. This incident took place on December 19. The CI from Vijayawada had gone to Mumbai on some work and stayed in a hotel, where he gave his Aadhaar card and phone number details. After that, after returning to Vijayawada, he was initially shocked by the threatening call he received on his phone.
But the CI identified the criminals with his experience and intimidated them by asking them a barrage of questions. This incident once again reminds us of the precautions we need to take on cyber security. Especially in hotels, if you have to provide key documents like Aadhaar card for security reasons, the police suggest that it is better to use masked Aadhaar. In masked Aadhaar, only the last four of the 12 digits are visible, the rest are indicated by “XXXX”. By using such masked Aadhaar, frauds like phishing can be reduced. Also, if you are in a hotel in other areas, the police warn that it is better to give phone numbers that are not related to banking or Aadhaar numbers. It is very easy to fall into the trap of cyber criminals. But your precautions and vigilance play a key role in protecting your data.
