‘Students and youth are soft targets for fraudsters: Cyber police at Bajaj Fraud Awareness event in Hyderabad
Bajaj Finance Ltd (BFL)., India’s largest Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the private sector, and part of Bajaj Finserv, today held a cyber fraud awareness programme in Hyderabad- Knockout Digital Fraud – to inform digital users about different types of threats, and best practices to safeguard finances.
The event, conducted at Sri Sai Degree and PG College in Dilsukhnagar, was honored by the presence of distinguished dignitaries including Mr. S Mallesham, Sub-Inspector of Police, Cyber Cell, South-East Zone, Hyderabad, Cybercrime department Police Constables Ms. G Sangeetha & Mr. M Nageshwar, and Mr. CH Dilip Kumar Reddy, Principal, Sri Sai Degree and PG College. Their collective experience and insights added immense value to the proceedings. The speakers threw light on various kinds of frauds prevalent in and around Hyderabad. The audience were informed about fake OTP fraud, Phishing Fraud, Digital Arrest, Financial Loan fraud, Pension fraud and other frauds.
Cybercrime SI Mr. S Mallesh recounted a recent case from Hyderabad to explain the students how meticulously a fraud is committed. “Falling prey to a cyber scam, a poor family was conned to the tune of Rs 40,000. First, fraudsters convinced victims that they had won a Rs 5-lakh lottery. Next, they manipulated victims to pay registration fees. Only later, did the family realize they were duped,” he revealed. “Fraudsters improvise their strategy based on the victim and their nature,” alerted the cop.
During the interaction, the cyber cop had an interesting question for the audience. He asked if there was anyone in the audience who did not have a Facebook or Instagram account. When only a faculty member responded affirmatively, the cop took this opportunity to sound the warning bell. “This is exactly why students and youths often become targets. They share their personal life details on social media without thinking twice, and trust anyone easily.”
Offering a word of caution, Mr. Mallesh advised, “Keep your social media profiles private. Be mindful of what you share and with whom. Always enable two-factor authentication and use strong, unique passwords to secure your online accounts.”
The Knockout Digital Fraud programme aligns with the Reserve Bank of India’s 2024 guidelines on Fraud Risk management for NBFCs, which emphasises early detection, staff accountability, and public engagement to make the digital ecosystem safer for everyone.
