'Difficult to track foreign-based online fraudsters'

The process to track down foreign-based cybercriminals involved in incidents of local online banking frauds is lengthy, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID, cybercrime division, Raghavendra Hegde.

Speaking on the occasion of the cybersecurity awareness week organised by HDFC ERGO, Hegde said it takes two to three years just to reach out, despite knowing the location of the criminals.

“We are unable to arrest foreign-based cybercriminals due to complex procedures that need to be simplified to reduce online frauds in the country,” he added.

In discussion with Hegde were Lucidus Tech COO Anju Kapur and HDFC ERGO General Insurance’s executive management member and group head Mehmood Mansoori.

The panel agreed that there has been a 100% jump year-on-year on the number of cybercrime cases. Banking frauds and misuse of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have been prevalent in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru.

Nearly 80% of the cyber attacks can be prevented through awareness, panellists said.

Dos and Don’ts

E-commerce activities, sharing personal details and online banking have made the internet unsafe in recent times, the experts said, cautioning people not to share passwords and OTPs over the internet or phone.

Cautioning netizens over information and pictures shared on social media, they urged users to download mobile
apps from authorised sources only.

They also asked users not to click on unknown links or emails.