Cyber Fraudsters Exploit Greed, Deception, and Fear; ‘Information Distancing’ Key to Preventing Frauds: Delhi Police Officials

New Delhi : Senior Delhi Police officials  cautioned individuals not to fall prey to greed, deception and fear methodology being adopted by cyber criminals to dupe innocent people. They also advised individuals to practice information distancing while using online platforms in order to curb frauds.

Speaking at a Nationwide fraud awareness campaignprogrammejointly organized by Delhi Police and Bajaj Finance Ltd (BFL) at Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies, Rohini, Shri K.P.S. Malhotra, DCP (Crime and Railways), Delhi Police, said,“Cybercriminals today primarily exploit three human vulnerabilities—greed, deception, and fear. When individuals fall for offers that promise unrealistic returns, they become victims of greed. When they trust someone impersonating a bank official, an insurance agent, or even a police officer, they fall into the trap of deception. And when criminals project themselves as authorities and create panic, fear drives people to share sensitive information. Most cybercrimes can be prevented if we remain vigilant and control these three factors in our daily online interactions.”

“Several people have the habit of forwarding good morning/good night images on WhatsApp. Even these can be used to steal you banking credentials. Thus, people should avoid downloading these images,” he added.

Delivering a keynote address, Shri H.S. Randhawa, ACP, Special Cell, Delhi Police said, “Cyber fraudsters are using newer techniques to lure people and need of the hour is to practice information distancing online just as we practiced social distancing during COVID-19. People should use two separate emails for personal and professional use and should use a different email for logging on to social media platforms. With awareness and simple precautions like strong passwords, changing password at regular intervals, multi-factor authentication, and verifying before clicking, we can prevent cybercrimes and outwit cyber fraudsters.

He also apprised about how to report a Cyber crime on www.cybercrime.gov.in and financial fraud helpline 1930. “The females can use the portal anonymously and lodge the complaint without fear,” he added.

Bajaj Finance Ltd (BFL), India’s largest non-banking financial company in the private sector, and a part of Bajaj Finserv is organising a nationwide financial literacy and cyber fraud awarenessprogrammewhich aims to inform digital users about different types of threats, and best practices to safeguard finances.

In his opening remarks, Shri Suneel Garg, Special CP, Delhi Police(Retired),who graced the occasionsaid, “Crime today has evolved—, fraudsters can cheat or extort money from anyone, anywhere, without ever being physically present. The Digital Fraud Awareness Program is therefore highly significant.

“Not only youngsters, but even elderly people are increasingly becoming victims of cyber and digital fraud. Through this initiative, supported by Bajaj Finance, Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies, and the expertise of Delhi Police officers, students will gain practical knowledge of how digital crimes are committed and, more importantly, how to protect themselves and their families. Awareness is the first and strongest step towards prevention,” he added.

The nationwide campaign is aligned with the Reserve Bank of India’s 2024 guidelines on Fraud Risk management for NBFCs, which emphasizes early detection, staff accountability, and public engagement to make the digital ecosystemsafer for everyone.

Speaking on the occasion, a spokesperson from BFL, said,“Ensuring the financial safety of our customers is our top priority. We regularly advise our esteemed customer ways to save themselves from becoming a victim of cyber fraud. By following basic safety practices, a lot of fraud cases can be reduced.”

Experts and dignitaries present at the event included Ms. Sandhya Bindal, Vice Chairperson, Tecnia Group of Institutes; Dr. Ajay Rathore, Director, Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies and Dr. M.N. Jha, Dean Academics, Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies. While Shri K.S.N. Subdhi, ACP (Retired), Delhi Police, moderated the Cyber Fraud Awareness Programme.

The nationwide awareness programme offers the cyber community valuable safety tips on safeguarding personal and sensitive information. This includes refraining from sharing OTPs, PINs, clicking on suspicious emails, SMSs, links, QR codes and downloading applications from unknown sources. It includes a series of interactive workshops, digital awareness drives, and community outreach programs across major cities and towns.

The programme is focused on drawing citizens’ attention to common financial frauds committed by scammers including fake social media accounts, WhatsApp groups and websites that mimic financial companies, falsely claiming affiliation and impersonating their employees.