Senior Delhi Police officials cautioned people against falling prey to the greed, deception, and fear tactics employed by cybercriminals. They also emphasized the need to practice ‘information distancing’ while using online platforms to avoid any fraud.
During the nationwide fraud awareness campaign ‘Knockout Digital Fraud’, jointly organized by Delhi Police and Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL) at the Technia Institute of Advanced Studies, Rohini, Delhi Police DCP (Crime and Railways) K.P.S. Malhotra said, “Today, cybercriminals primarily exploit three human weaknesses—greed, deception, and fear. People fall prey to greed when they trust offers promising unrealistic returns. When they trust someone posing as a bank official, insurance agent, or police officer, they are deceived. And when criminals create panic by posing as authorities, people are forced to share sensitive information out of fear. If we remain vigilant and control these three factors, most cybercrimes can be prevented.”
He also said, “Many people forward good morning/good night images on WhatsApp daily. These can also lead to theft of banking details. Therefore, downloading such images should be avoided.”
ACP H.S. of the Special Cell Randhawa said, “Today, cybercriminals are adopting new methods to trap people, and the need of the hour is to practice information distancing on online platforms, just as social distancing was practiced during COVID-19. People should use separate email addresses for personal and professional work, and create separate email addresses for social media accounts. Awareness and simple precautions—such as strong passwords, regular password changes, multi-factor authentication, and checking links/messages before clicking—can help us defeat cybercriminals.”
He also informed that cybercrime complaints can be filed on www.cybercrime.gov.in, and a helpline number, 1930, is available for financial fraud. Women, in particular, can file complaints anonymously on this portal. Bajaj Finance Limited, India’s largest private sector non-banking financial company (NBFC), organized this campaign, which aims to make digital users aware of various threats and safe financial transaction practices.
Retired Special Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police, Sunil Garg, said, “Today, the nature of crime has changed. Criminals can defraud anyone without physically being present. That’s why digital fraud awareness programs are extremely important. Not only young people, but even the elderly are now falling prey to cyber fraud. This initiative, in collaboration with Bajaj Finance and Technia Institute, will not only educate students about digital crimes but also teach them practical ways to prevent them. Awareness is the first and strongest step.”
This nationwide campaign is in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Fraud Risk Management Guidelines 2024, which emphasize early detection, employee accountability, and public participation. Speaking on the occasion, a Bajaj Finance spokesperson said, “The financial security of our customers is our top priority. We periodically advise customers to exercise caution. Most frauds can be avoided if people adopt basic security habits.”
Prominent guests present at the event included Ms. Sandhya Bindal (Vice Chairperson, Technia Group of Institutes), Dr. Ajay Rathore (Director, Technia Institute of Advanced Studies), Dr. M.N. Jha (Dean, Academics), Praveen Chauhan (Inspector, Cyber Cell), and Dinesh Dahiya (Inspector, Cyber Cell). The event was moderated by K.S.N. Subudhi, ACP (Retired), Delhi Police. The campaign provided important tips for protecting personal and sensitive information—such as not sharing OTPs and PINs, not clicking on suspicious emails, SMSes, links, or QR codes, and not downloading apps from unknown sources. The ‘Knockout Digital Fraud’ program includes a series of interactive workshops, digital awareness drives, and community outreach programs being held in major cities and towns.
The primary objective of the program is to draw citizens’ attention to common financial fraud methods, including fake social media accounts, WhatsApp groups, and websites that falsely claim to be financial companies and impersonate their employees to defraud people.
