Cyber Crime Capital Of The State, Visakhapatnam

Cyber Crime is on a rise all over the world thanks to the onset of technology. Bullying has shifted base from the school hallways to social media, with anonymity lending a convenient mask. Not just online bullying, ATM fraud and identity theft are on a rise, especially in India.

A two day workshop on cyber crime was held for the Andhra Pradesh police recently. The rising levels of cyber crime have raised the concerns of Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu and Director General of Police, N Sambasiva Rao. The Additional Director General of CID, Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said that cyber crime is on a rise, turning out to be the ultimate tool for hardened criminals. He also said that the officers and police stations have to be strengthened and trained to handle it, equipped to have a broad knowledge of what to do and how to pick up evidences.

There is a proposal to open at least one cyber crime police station in each district, adding to the ones already there in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The total number of ATM fraud cases registered in the state are 234, 230 of phishing, followed by 167 cases or pornography and email abuse. Despite the awareness campaigns and being educated, people still fall prey and disclose personal details to scammers.

In Visakhapatnam, an average of two to three cyber crime cases are recorded per day, with over 700 cases registered in the last two years. Visakhapatnam has now earned the distinction of being the cyber crime capital of the State and falls second in the country, after Bangalore. Registrar of Andhra University, V Uma Maheshwara Rao, offered use of the newly opened centre for cyber security in the university to the police.