This Post Is Recently Updated on Oct 27, 2023 @ 7:34 am by TBB Desk
The Digital Quandary:
In the epoch of digital preeminence, Gujarat finds itself ensnared in the crosshairs of cyber malefactors. This disquieting revelation emanates from a comprehensive examination orchestrated by the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), an esteemed initiative steered by IIT Kanpur. Unveiling a white paper, FCRF delineates how Ahmedabad and Surat are metamorphosing into the nation’s nascent cybercrime epicenters.
A Panoptic Scrutiny:
The FCRF’s rigorous analysis spans cyber malfeasance instances documented across the nation from January 2020 to June 2023. The scrutiny unearthed 83 burgeoning cybercrime hubs encompassing small towns and cities sprawled over 18 states.
Predominantly, the cyber onslaughts comprised online financial deceit, hacking, and impersonation. The ominous rise of task-based and mobile-centric investment scams particularly beleaguers Gujarat, articulates a high-ranking police functionary.
The Root of Digital Depravity:
The study meticulously distills three cardinal progenitors fueling this alarming upswing.
- Flimsy KYC Protocols: Lackadaisical KYC and verification frameworks, twined with recruitment and indoctrination of the underemployed, furnish a fertile breeding ground for digital delinquency.
- The Veil of Anonymity: The ubiquitous utilization of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) bestows a cloak of anonymity upon the miscreants, exacerbating the quandary.
These determinants have fueled the ascendancy of cyber malefactors in numerous towns and cities, as noted by the FCRF’s revelation.
The Economic Ravage:
The preceding 16 months witnessed a surge in task and mobile app-propelled investments. Ahmedabad’s constabulary has pinpointed nefarious factions orchestrating these fraudulent enterprises, culminating in monumental financial hemorrhage for the unwitting victims.
A glaring exemplar surfaced this July, when an investment swindle, with tendrils extending across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, was dismantled by the Hyderabad police. This nefarious enterprise ensnared nine individuals from these cities.
Unveiling the Invisible Adversaries:
The IIT-Kanpur dossier additionally illumines the burgeoning cybercrime hotspots on a national canvas. West Bengal tops the chart, with Uttar Pradesh tailing closely. These focal points of digital maleficence now encompass erstwhile obscure towns, alongside the established urban conglomerates like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
Reflection:
These unsettling findings by FCRF underline a grim reality: the burgeoning digital maleficence is not only a metropolitan malady but is now proliferating into the hinterlands, catching both the guardians of law and the citizenry unawares.
