Kolkata: a five-fold increase in the case of cyber crime in Kolkata for two years reflects an increase in the involvement of citizens in the post-pandemic scenario, feeling the police.
While 32 FIR related to virtual world crimes was registered in 2018, the number jumped up to 172 in 2020.
Despite a surge in Kolkata Signatas, the number was very small compared to Bengaluru (8,892) and Hyderabad (2,553).
According to the police, a sharp increase in the level of crime online is the result of people who spend more time online to work, transact, and interact.
While the increase in online bank transactions has caused more cases of cyber fraud, an increase in social interaction online resulting in more cases of fraud and implamptability.
The police also deal with fake news, register 11 cases.
This is the third highest among the cities after Hyderabad (112) and Chennai (14).
The NCRB numbers also show that the investigation of cyber fraud cases can be withdrawn for a long time, with the police registering several companies and institutions, and dealing with accused of operating from other cities.
There are 498 cases currently waiting for an investigation.
Overall, 18 people were arrested in 2020 because of their involvement in cyberspace crimes, but there was no confidence.
In at least nine cases, the police believed that the defendant they identified involved, but could not go for the cost sheet because it was not enough evidence.
The motive analysis behind 172 registered cases shows that 54 is a case of personal revenge, the other 56 is committed to the intention to commit fraud, nine related to extortion while obscene acts are involved in three.
The police have now begun to train themselves in the detection of cyber crime and have begun to spread the awareness of the need to be vigilant.
On Wednesday, Kolkata police arranged training sessions on sexual exploitation of children online with domain experts from England and the US who did the event.
“We get a lot of complaints about cyber intimidation, which is new to us.
We also need to know the basic counseling in such cases.
This training is intended to make us aware of the same thing,” said an officer.
Police have also been asked to undergo mandatory certification in computer and forensic hacking, and investigations, along with network security certification and certification in ethical hacking.
Initially, 45 police will undergo this training.
More than 150 others will undergo certification of cyber security awareness that is less intense.