BENGALURU, 13 JAN

Around four out of 10 victims reporting cybercrime at Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police stations in Bengaluru are IT professionals, according to City Crime Records Bureau data obtained by Salar News. 

Last year, the City reported 17,623 cybercrime cases, of which only 1,271 were detected. At least 14,285 cases are still untraced. A majority of these cases directly or indirectly involve IT professionals and this reflects the vulnerability of people working in the Silicon Valley of India. 

Bengaluru tops the list of cybercrimes registered across all metro cities in India. Social engineers are cybercriminals who use sounds resembling police stations or government offices during phone calls, tricking victims into complying with fraudulent requests, resulting in financial losses. 

Praveen Kumar, an inspector with Bengaluru Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) wing, narrated a cyber scam he experienced. “A hacker convinced a victim to transfer the money to 50 bank accounts.” Upon reaching out to the victims, Salar News found that hackers are sophisticated storytellers who craft virtual scenarios to trap victims.

Luring victims with WFH opportunities

Ananya (name changed), a 23-year-old from the City who fell victim to job fraud, shared her experience. “I received a text message from an unknown number offering work-from-home opportunities. I applied, and the employer asked me to give reviews on Google, promising a payment of Rs 150 per review. Later, I was added to a Telegram channel where I was assigned three tasks: the first was giving Google reviews, and the second and third involved Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. The unidentified person paid me for the Google review, and I moved on to the next task, which was online trading. The person then informed me that due to my low credit score, the transaction would be difficult. They suggested I invest in a Bitcoin app, promising to return my investment and provide extra payment upon task completion.”

Ananya agreed and invested Rs 1.5 lakh; she was later asked to pay Rs 1.5 lakh more. The total amount she was promised was Rs 3.5 lakh. She eventually realised that she had been scammed.

Modus operandi

Cybercriminals employ various tactics to conceal their identities and locations. One method involves using virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxy servers to route their internet traffic through different locations, creating layers of anonymity. Hackers often utilise SIM cards from one state while operating in another, and they may use stolen phones and SIM cards, making it challenging to identify and trace the perpetrators given the lack of resources for the cybercrime officers in other states, the CEN Inspector said. 

From job fraud to FedEx scam

‘1930’ is the helpline to report cybercrimes. When Salar News visited the office on Infantry Road, the reporter saw at least 250 people answering 10-15 distress calls per minute. The City sees 4-5 cases being registered at 8 CEN police stations. Job frauds constitute 60 per cent of cyber scams, while FedEx scams and Aadhaar-related scams make up 20 per cent each. In a single case in 2023, a company siphoned off over Rs 6 crore from multiple individuals, according to data from the Bengaluru district CEN police wing. 

In 2023, Bengaluru Police recorded 263 cases related to FedEx scams. The total amount lost in these scams exceeds Rs 5 crore. The scammers use Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, which use pre-recorded calls from FedEx and other reputed firms. 

Here, the victim receives a call from a number claiming to be FedEx 'customer service'. The victim is told that a package, supposedly linked to their Aadhaar number, has been intercepted due to illegal items. The victims are then told to pay a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. In 2023, a PhD student at Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru lost Rs 1.3 crore to the courier scam.

Another prevalent scam involves impersonating officials from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). An Infosys techie lost Rs 3.7 crore to scammers posing as TRAI, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Mumbai police officials. These fraudsters claim that mobile numbers will be disconnected for sending unsolicited messages. –Salar News