Rising cyber crimes worry cops
Despite its infinite advantages, online shopping remains a risky proposition. And the statement holds true when one talks about Gurgaon — the IT hub of NCR.
Despite its infinite advantages, online shopping remains a risky proposition. And the statement holds true when one talks about Gurgaon — the IT hub of NCR.
Thanks to the new tech-savvy generation, increasing online transactions, internet penetration, online security loopholes and the inefficient cyber crime cell, cases of online frauds have seen a significant rise this year.
These frauds largely involve misuse of debit/credit cards and hacking of net banking accounts.
As many as 100 complaints related to cyber crime have been registered till August this year. Compare that to the 80 cases reported in the whole of 2011 in Gurgaon — the mecca of BPOs.
"Globally, we work towards helping card users fight fraud as such incidents are on the rise," said Ian Craig, managing director of CPP India, a debit/credit card protection firm.
It's no wonder then that even the BPOs of Gurgaon have not been spared by the hackers.
Many recent cases involve BPO employees misusing the credit cards details of clients for online shopping. In many of these cases, such clients were set abroad which caused a huge embarrassment and financial loss to the company concerned.
In the light of such incidents, the cyber crime cell comes across as a ill-equipped force.
"In most of the cases, the accused did online shopping and purchased electronic items like mobile phones and LCDs, computers. They shop without a care in the world, thinking no one will be able to trace them," said inspector Suresh Kumar, who leads the cyber crime cell.
By analysing the profile of the accused, the policemen have also realised that a majority of these criminals are youth with a desire to own the latest gadgets in the market.
In one such recent case, Akshita Attri, a former employee of American Express bank, was arrested for misusing the credit card of a UK client.
"I never knew that my girlfriend was gifting me things bought by committing a fraud. She always told me that she does overtime to buy gifts for me," said Attri's friend, who was also booked in the case.
In many cases, the accused used credits cards for recharging phones and buying airline tickets.
In another case, Arti Gupta, a former employee of Convergys, had gifted electronic items and air tickets to her boyfriend by again fraudulently using a client's credit card.