Bhubaneswar: State police have decided to launch a massive statewide awareness campaign to raise awareness of cyber security in the wake of a spurt in digital crimes.
“We observed that there is a huge lack of understanding of cyber threats among the people. We will reach out to the public, share real-time information, and the latest trends in cybercrimes. The awareness drive will be conducted at the grassroots level, involving all sections of people,” DGP Y B Khurania said while inaugurating the state-level police duty meet at Cuttack on Friday.
Police plan to disseminate real-time information through multiple channels, including SMS alerts, social media platforms, radio broadcasts, and printed materials detailing various cyber criminal tactics. The initiative includes localised campaigns featuring advertisements on buses and billboards at strategic locations, including bus stands, railway stations and airports, alongside community engagement programmes for cyber safety education. The police authorities are considering engaging social media influencers to create content addressing digital arrest scams, fraudulent part-time job offers and investment schemes.
Data revealed an 18% increase in cybercrime across the state, with cases rising from 1,983 in 2022 to 2,348 in 2023. Chief minister Mohan Majhi recently informed the assembly that cyber fraudsters stole over Rs 125 crore from victims between 2021 and 2023, with cops recovering only Rs 2.77 crore (2%) during the period. The CM’s written reply highlighted a significant surge in online trading and investment fraud victims, increasing from just 105 in 2022 to 18,994 in 2023. By Nov this year, the number of victims had reached 40,270.
Crime branch collaborated with financial institutions and other partners to conduct a cyber security campaign from Sept 30 to Oct 15 last year. The campaign included cyber safety chariots (raths) broadcasting awareness messages at public gathering points such as bus stations, markets, local haats, block and panchayat offices.