Gurugram cops educate residents about cyber scamsters

Police have started calling up people and asking them to stay vigilant and notify their social circles

Updated on: Apr 16, 2024, 06:06:18 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram Police has started a campaign to educate and alert residents about the potential traps laid by scammers related to stock market or investment schemes through different social media groups, officers aware of the matter said on Monday.

Deputy commissioner of police (South) Sidhant Jain said as part of the initiative, the Cyber Police personnel daily call up 100 people. (Representational image)

Police have started calling up people after getting their numbers, after procuring them through different sources, that are added to several groups on social media platforms, and asked them to stay vigilant and notify their social circles, they added.

Deputy commissioner of police (South) Sidhant Jain said as part of the initiative, the Cyber Police personnel daily call up 100 people, providing them with crucial insights into cyber fraud prevention. “Through these interactions, residents are being sensitised to the tactics adopted by scammers, emphasising the importance of staying informed and cautious while navigating the online platforms,” he added.

Jain said that since the beginning of the year, scammers have been luring people with enticing offers of investment and stock market opportunities, duping them of lakhs and crores of rupees. “The Cyber Police stations started receiving five to six complaints daily from January onwards. Scammers initiated a new trend to deceive people. To combat this fraud, we instructed police personnel from the four cyber stations in the district to call 100 people daily and provide them information about this new trend. After calling from all four police stations, the recordings of the calls are sent to them, and reports are filed accordingly,” he said.

Police said the numbers have been gathered from different platforms. The scammers have created thousands of WhatsApp and Telegram groups under the guise of investment and stock market. “From there, they gather numbers and the cyber crime teams connect with the members of the groups except the admin, and warn them that the groups have been created by scammers to dupe them. They are also asked to caution friends and acquaintances about leaving the groups. If they have been cheated, they are advised to contact the cyber helpline and file a complaint at their nearest police station,” said Jain.

Police have been following up with people to check if they left the groups or not. If they don’t, then a follow-up call is made at least thrice, said police.

Since January 1 this year, 280 scammers have been arrested for allegedly duping people, said police.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More