‘Like Covid, cybercrime can affect anybody’

Calangute: We are currently living in a cybercrime pandemic, and just like Covid, one needs to take adequate precautionary measures, cybercrime PI Deepak Pednekar said on Tuesday during an awareness meeting at Calangute. A large number of residents attended the meeting at the St Alex church hall.
PI Pednekar made a detailed presentation on the various crimes that can happen through a mobile phone or computer. “Online frauds have entered all fields. Everybody is likely to be affected. Only awareness can save an individual,” he said, and shared tips on how to avoid being duped.
He also shared the names of websites that provide assistance in cases of social media harassment or data theft.
He gave examples of fake investment scams and online gaming apps which swindle people and stressed the importance of not giving too much personal information on social media. “Be wary of over-romantic gestures or overwhelming love from people online. Take your time to get to know someone,” he said.
Most of the online scams target senior citizens, he said, and online sextortion rackets target males. There are many online shopping websites which look similar to the genuine ones. “Always check the URL because that can't be faked. A fake site will have one or two additional letters,” he said.
He also pointed out the safety features available on mobile phones and popular websites like Google, which should be activated to stay safe. “Don’t click on unknown links or files with .apk at the end because the moment you click on the link, it gets downloaded on your phone, and then they can see everything that is there on your phone,” he said.