Navi Mumbai police launch WhatsApp channel, helpline to tackle cyber frauds
The initiatives were launched by the director general of police, Rashmi Shukla, at a function held at the CIDCO exhibition centre in Vashi
Navi Mumbai: With cyber frauds looting ₹1 crore per day on average in 2024 from Navi Mumbai residents, the Navi Mumbai police on Wednesday launched a WhatsApp channel and a helpline number to create awareness about various types of online scams and measures adopted by scammers to loot citizens.
The initiatives were launched by the director general of police, Rashmi Shukla, at a function held at the CIDCO exhibition centre in Vashi. Navi Mumbai police commissioner Milind Bharambe, who was present at the function, said though the number of cases relating to offline thefts and robbery was very high compared to cyber fraud cases, the amount involved in the latter was 13 times higher than the former.
“Around 1,100 cases pertaining to dacoity, theft and robbery were registered in Navi Mumbai this year, with the financial loss pegged at ₹13.67 crore. In comparison, there were only 249 cases of cyber fraud, but the amount citizens lost was nearly ₹168 crore – that is roughly ₹1 crore per day on average,” said Bharambe.
Since the amount looted by cyber frauds was massive, the issue needed to be addressed urgently, he noted. “One concrete way to prevent such cases is by creating public awareness about the various ways and means adopted by cyber frauds. We usually share information about such things through seminars and panel discussions. The WhatsApp channel is an additional step towards creating mass awareness,” said the commissioner.
The WhatsApp channel, named ‘Navi Mumbai Police’, currently has short videos on the modus operandi of cyber frauds. The helpline number, 8828112112, has also gone live and citizens call the number to clear their doubts or seek guidance about cyber frauds and online scams.
“We want the public to interact with us, instead of just being briefed. The helpline number will function as a one-point contact for citizens seeking guidance regarding cyber scams,” said Bharambe.