HSNC University, Mumbai, in collaboration with the Amchi Mumbai Safe Mumbai Committee of the Ladies Wing of IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made a significant stride in the battle against cybercrime. They did so by hosting a crucial seminar on “Cyber Crime Alert” on Thursday, July 4, 2024, a seminar that was of utmost importance in the current digital age.
The awareness programme, in which students and staff (teaching and non-teaching staff) of HSNC University, Mumbai, participated, was organised so that they would find this helpful information and create awareness amongst their family and friends.
In her opening remarks, Dr Hemlata Bagla, vice chancellor of HSNC University, stressed the critical need for a transformative approach to addressing cyber safety. This approach, she emphasised, should be adaptable to the ever-evolving technology landscape. Citing a UNESCO report, she highlighted, “62% of digital users are unaware of being cyber-bullied, which underscores the pressing need for regulations and guidelines that extend beyond academia.”
Dr. Bagla concluded by reiterating that digital safety was a shared responsibility. She stressed the need for a united effort from various sectors, including students, staff, and the general public, to create a safe digital environment. “Together, we can build a secure and inclusive digital future, empowering our youth with the knowledge and resilience to navigate the digital world safely,” she said, leaving the audience with a clear call to action and a sense of unity in the mission for cyber safety.
Satyanarayan Chaudhary, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law & Order, graced the event as Guest of Honour and delivered the keynote address.
In his keynote address, Satyanarayan Chaudhary said, “Cybercrime has increased tremendously over the past four years. If anyone is a victim of cybercrime, they should call the 1930 helpline number immediately. It is critical to report cyber crimes within the golden hour. In cyber fraud, the ‘golden hour period’ is critical. You should report any losses within three hours on 1930 or the cybercrime website. Then, the chances of recovery are better. In this way alone, Mumbai Police have recovered Rs 44 crore in the first six months of 2024”.
Furthermore, Jt-Commisioner Chaudhary highlighted that cyber hygiene or cyber security hygiene is a set of best practices organisations and individuals must perform regularly to maintain the health and security of users, devices, networks, and data and protect themselves from theft or misuse. He said that by maintaining good cyber hygiene, an individual could minimise the risk of operational interruptions, data compromise, and data loss.
While explaining the preventive measures, Mr Chaudhary said, “Don’t share your OTP (one-time password) with anyone. Don’t trust any links provided to you by anyone. Always check if the activity is legal or illegal. Don’t answer video calls of unknown callers.”
Later,thecybercrimeteam, comprising Suvarna Shinde, senior police inspector; Poonam Jadhav, police sub-inspector and Rajesh Khushalani, head constable from the Mumbai Police’s cybercrime cell, shed light on cybercrime-related issues and gave specific examples foreach.
They cautioned everyone about social media crimes, financial fraud, banking fraud, electricity fraud, dating/ matrimony fraud, loan app fraud, sextortion or web claim fraud, which further leads to blackmailing through misusing photographs.
Out of this, 80% are financial frauds. In comparison, 20% of social media crimes are due to people’s lack of awareness of taking precautions while sharing their data and personal information on social media websites.
Participants were briefed in detail about cyber security and cyber-related crimes and vigilance against them. The Modus operandi for several different types of cybercrime and how to avoid them was explained, such as KYC fraud, FedEx scam, credit card fraud, cyberbullying, cyber fraud and blackmailing of women by uploading their obscene photos.
“We receive 2,500 to 3,000 calls at the Maharashtra Cyber Cell daily, and around 400 cases are registered on the National Crime Record Bureau portal. A complaint is registered once a victim calls 1930, and an email is sent to the bank where the money landed. Once the email is received, the account will be ‘lien mark’ – meaning all activities will be stopped. After that, the police ask the bank to lien mark the amount of that particular transaction, explained the cyber crime team. For instance, a victim loses Rs 1,00,000, which lands in a different account. That bank is asked to only lien mark the Rs 1,00,000 which was transferred into the account.
Through a PowerPoint presentation, the police team explained how to safeguard against such cybercrimes with practical website demos.
The police team also listed several do’s and don’t’s to be remembered about cyber-crimes like activating two-step verification on social media, keeping profile photo private, keeping international transactions off, using a secure anti-virus, setting up a strong password, clearing history regularly and report cyber-crime immediately.
Notably, the Department of Telecommunication has developed an app named ‘Chakshu’. Any citizen can report suspected cybercriminals, their details, etc., to the DOT, which can, after verification, deactivate the sources used by cybercriminals.
Jyoti Doshi, president of IMC Ladies Wing; Bharti Gandhi, chairperson of Amchi Mumbai, Safe Mumbai Committee; Reena Rupani, co-chairperson of Aamchi Mumbai, Safe Mumbai Committee; principals of constituent colleges; deans and directors of HSNC University, Mumbai; and dignitaries were present at the event, which started with the lighting of the lamp and felicitation of the dignitaries.
