Need to train more police officials to prevent and detect cyber crimes: Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar

Vivek Phansalkar. File Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar on Wednesday said there was an urgent need to train as many police officials as possible to investigate and prevent cyber crimes, reported news agency PTI.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar was speaking at a training workshop organised for Mumbai Police's 'Cyber Commandos'.

On the occasion, the police introduced 'Cyber Commandos' trained for prevention and detection of cases related to cyber crime and also unveiled a poster of helpline 1930.

Addressing the officials who underwent training, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar in the last two years, there has been an increase in cyber frauds and cases of sextortion, identity theft, phishing and cheating, reported PTI.

Such cases lead to both financial and reputational damage, he said.

Considering the threat of crime in the cyber space, every head constable working at a police station has to be computer and digital literate, said the senior IPS officer.

"In the next phase, the Mumbai Police will train station house officers and other policemen on cyber crime investigation," he said, reported PTI.

"We have tied up with SBI, which has 95 lakh customer base in Mumbai. The tie-up has helped us reach 50 per cent of Mumbai," he said, adding creating awareness about crime among citizens is also one of the tasks of police, reported PTI.

Special Police Commissioner Deven Bharti said with the cyber helpline 1930, the Mumbai Police have frozen transactions of over Rs 25 crore, which people had lost to online fraudsters, reported PTI.

Considering the increase in cyber crimes, police officials should upgrade their investigative kills through training, he said, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, a 37-year-old man from Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra has allegedly lost Rs 10.13 lakh after being lured with the promise of high returns for some online tasks, police said on Sunday, reported PTI.

The cyber police station in Navi Mumbai has registered a case against four persons in this connection, they said.

The accused contacted the victim, a resident of Old Panvel area, between January 16 and 27 and offered him to undertake some online prepaid tasks, reported PTI.

They forwarded him certain links, assigned the tasks and promised lucrative returns. Subsequently, the victim made payments totalling Rs 10,13,005 into the bank accounts and through UPI IDs as instructed, an official from cyber police station said, reported PTI.

However, after completing the tasks, the victim neither received the promised returns nor his money was refunded. When he asked the accused for payment, they gave evasive responses, reported PTI.

The victim then filed a police complaint, based on which a case was on Wednesday registered against four persons under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)