We’re helpless, foreign banks protect cyber crooks: Mumbai police

Mumbai police are deterred by little help from foreign banks, lengthy legal procedures

Cyber police said they find it difficult to solve man-in-the-middle attack cases as it is difficult to obtain information from other countries. The people who fall for such scams usually deposit money into foreign bank accounts.

Police said that prevention is the best way to deal with such crimes. (HT File Photo)

The officials of these banks take a month to reply to the cyber police’s requests for information. They also withhold information related to deposits and withdrawals made by such fraudsters. They ask the cyber police to contact them through legal channels, which is a lengthy process.The legal process entails writing to the state home department, which co-ordinates with central home department.

Stay safe

Three ways to prevent online attacks and scams, suggested by the cyber police:

Before making a financial transaction, phone the person and check the details of the bank account into which the money is to be deposited. Most business transactions with foreign companies are discussed via email. Company representatives should meet in person to talk about deals. They should stay in touch throughout to avoid being cheated.

It is important for firms to apprise their employees about man-in-the-middle attacks, data theft email hacking

It is common for fraudsters to send their targets emails containing viruses that help them steal data. Employees should be warned not to click on such links

Only then are the police allowed to write to the concerned courts seeking permission to pursue the case with a court based in a foreign country. They can then contact this court, which asks an investigation agency to look into the case. The cyber police face the same hurdles while trying to trace the IP addresses of such hackers as their servers are based abroad.

As such fraudsters rely on the use of fake email IDs, cyber police officers said they try to contact email service providers, who also take weeks to respond.Such providers also ask them to go through the legal channels. Such channels are termed ‘letters rogatory’ or ‘letter of request’, which are also lengthy and time-consuming, said police.

Police said that prevention is thus the best way to deal with such crimes. They added that they had started programmes to make businessmen aware of the risks of falling prey to cyber crimes.