By Nageshwar Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, December 3, 2024: Cybercrime has emerged as the most potent crime in the present world. Millions of people are being defrauded every day in and day out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Sunday addressed the growing menace of cybercrime in India, particularly digital frauds and non-consensual intimate deep fakes. He called the police to convert the challenge posed due to digital frauds, cyber crimes and Al into an opportunity by harnessing India’s Al power of Artificial Intelligence and ‘Aspirational India’. He was addressing the 59th All India Conference of Director Generals / Inspectors General of Police at Bhubaneswar.

It is needless to say that cybercrime is criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network or a networked device. Most cybercrime is committed by cybercriminals or hackers who want to make money. Digital frauds are not merely the work of financially desperate individuals; they represent a new class of criminals equipped with a variety of tools. Cybercrime also aims to damage computers or networks for reasons other than profit. These could be political or personal. Cybercrime can be carried out by individuals or organizations. Some cybercriminals are organized, use advanced techniques and are highly technically skilled. Others are novice hackers.

Concerned by the potential threats of digital frauds, cyber-crimes and Al technology, particularly the potential of deep fake disrupting social and familial relations, Modi rightly underscored the need for taking SMART policing to a different level to enable the police to become strategic, meticulous, adaptable, reliable and transparent. He rightly suggested that each of the urban policing initiatives be collated and implemented entirely in 100 cities of the country. He called for the use of technology to reduce the workload of the constabulary and suggested that the Police Station be made the focal point for resource allocation. Discussing the success of hackathons in solving some key problems, Prime Minister suggested holding a National Police Hackathon as well.

But talk alone will not solve the problem. It is indispensable to pursue aggressive prosecutions with integrity, transparency, and wide publicity. The growing number of these criminals is a huge threat and their sustained operations reflect poorly on the law enforcement and public safety apparatus. It is a real challenge to the law enforcement agencies to work out noteworthy breakthroughs in investigations and successful convictions.

Cybercrime has become a global menace, but India, as the world’s most populous nation, faces unique challenges. The world lost over $6 trillion to cybercrime in 2023, and this figure is projected to exceed $8 trillion by the end of 2024 and a staggering $10.5 trillion by 2025, according to cyber law experts.

In the ongoing financial year (2024-25) until September, people across the country reported losing a staggering Rs. 485 crore across 6.32 lakh cases of only UPI-related fraud, according to data given by Pankaj Chaudhary, Union minister of state for finance, in Parliament on November 25. In 2023-24, about 13.42 lakh fraud cases caused a loss of Rs. 1,087 crore. This was an almost 100 per cent increase from 2022-23 when 7.25 lakh fraud cases led to a loss of Rs. 573 crore. That adds up to Rs. 2,145 crore in less than three years.

Indians are likely to lose over Rs 1.2 lakh crore over the next year due to cyber frauds, according to a projection made by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which runs under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). India’s relatively weak cybercrime laws and a dismal conviction rate of less than 1 per cent have turned the country into a testing ground for new cybercriminal activities. Perpetrators are using India as a guinea pig to experiment with innovative ways to defraud people of their hard-earned money. Vulnerable telecom infrastructure which is ill-prepared for the overwhelming volume of calls and messages from malicious fraudsters creates fertile ground for cybercrime.

These criminals also employ ingenious techniques that constantly stay a step ahead of underprepared law enforcement and security systems. These crimes in India began in the early 1990s with the advent of the Internet and the increasing use of digital technologies. Digitalization in India has been a transformative force; India is also marked as the second country in the world in terms of active internet users.

With this adoption of digitalization and technology, the country is becoming a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy. However, the number of cyber crimes in the country has also seen a massive spike recently with the sophisticated cyber attacks and manipulative techniques being used by cybercriminals to lure innocent individuals and businesses. As internet penetration and digitalization expanded in the country, internet crimes evolved and became more sophisticated.

What is intriguing most is the strong network of relationships these fraudsters cultivate with local police in key hotspots, which enables them to carry out their activities with a sense of impunity. The consequences of this rampant cybercrime are grave. Tens of thousands of ordinary citizens face the constant threat of losing their life savings after a single ill-advised phone call or message. It is therefore encouraging that the power-that-be address this critical issue and push for action from those most equipped to combat it.

Holding these fraudsters accountable sends an important message — this is not a simple “call centre job” with questionable ethics, but a serious crime that is not worth the risk. Greater public awareness will go a long way to combat cybercrime. Cyber fraudsters constantly evolve their methods and adopt new personas to deceive unsuspecting victims. The government must work out a foolproof plan alerting the public continuously to inform them that they are at risk of losing money to fraudsters.

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