By Passang Dolma Baraili
Dehradun, 1 Dec: The fifth session on the final day of the 2nd edition of the Crime Literature Festival of India focused on the growing menace of cybercrime. Titled ‘Digital Arrest: The Infinite Menace of CyberCrime’, the session brought together esteemed panelists: Journalist Mazhar Farooqui, IPS Officer Varun Singla, and Author OP Manocha, with Shrishtee Sethi moderating the discussion.
The panel delved into the increasing prevalence of cybercrime, emphasizing the alarming scams that have caused people to lose significant wealth. One such case highlighted was of a woman who lost 3.8 crores to cyber fraud. OP Manocha, co-author of ‘Cyber Encounters’, discussed his insights into these crimes, particularly the ‘honey trap’ scams where victims are lured by fake online relationships, often involving young women.
IPS Officer Varun Singla shared measures taken by the CBI and Cyber Police to combat these fraudulent activities, citing the Haryana Police’s successful operation in Nuh, where over 5,000 officers apprehended 125 cybercriminals in a major crackdown. Singla also revealed his work of training 5,000 people to infiltrate scam groups, which helped to arrest multiple offenders.
The panel further highlighted two primary target groups for cybercrime: Indian youth and international youth, often operated by young criminals working in groups. Singla noted that cybercrime rates in India have declined by 10% due to these efforts. The experts urged the public to be vigilant, avoid unknown callers, and report cyber fraud to the authorities without hesitation.
The session concluded with a strong message: while cybercrime is a serious threat, bravery and swift action can protect individuals and help bring criminals to justice.
