Hansi: In view of the rise in online shopping, digital banking, and UPI payments during the festive season, the Hansi Police is conducting a special awareness campaign to protect the public from cybercrimes. Hansi Superintendent of Police (SP) Mr. Vinod Kumar, IPS, has appealed to district residents to exercise extreme caution while shopping online or conducting digital transactions and to avoid sharing confidential banking information with cybercriminals, even when tempted by lucrative offers.
The SP stated that cybercriminals are constantly devising new methods to defraud people. During the festive season, fraudsters lure individuals with attractive discounts, bumper offers, gifts, lottery wins, cashback, and prizes, often sending them to fake websites or mobile applications or sharing suspicious links. Clicking on these links in haste or making payments on fraudulent websites can lead to financial loss for citizens.
He advised citizens not to click on suspicious links received via unknown calls, messages, emails, or social media. Use only trusted and authorized websites or applications for online shopping. If a website offers unusually high discounts or extraordinary deals, one must verify its authenticity.
**Do not share OTP, PIN, or CVV with anyone**
The SP emphasized that one should never share bank account numbers, ATM/debit card details, CVV, OTP, UPI PIN, passwords, or any other confidential banking information with strangers. Banks and authorized institutions never call to ask for such confidential information. If someone claiming to be a bank official, police officer, customer care representative, or employee of any other organization asks for such details, one should first verify their authenticity.
He specifically appealed to the elderly and those less familiar with digital platforms not to download any app based on instructions from a stranger during online transactions, nor to grant screen-sharing or remote access privileges to anyone upon their request. **Report Cyber ??Fraud Immediately on 1930**
The Superintendent of Police stated that if a citizen falls victim to cyber fraud, they should not panic but instead register a complaint immediately on the cyber helpline number 1930. The sooner the police are informed about the fraud, the greater the chances of freezing the defrauded amount in the relevant accounts and preventing financial loss.
Additionally, citizens can also register complaints regarding cybercrimes through the National Cyber ??Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in.
Appealing to the public, Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar emphasized that awareness and caution serve as the strongest shield against cybercrime. Citizens should remain vigilant themselves and also educate their families—especially children and the elderly—about cyber safety. The Hansi Police is continuously conducting awareness campaigns to prevent cybercrimes and is educating citizens on safe digital transactions.