Over 200 UP police officers trained at a master training workshop held in Lucknow

To observe Cyber security awareness month, over 200 police officers, academics, and students gathered in Lucknow for a comprehensive cyber awareness and master training workshop organized by the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), an IIT Kanpur-incubated NGO, and powered by Paytm. The event, held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat the growing menace of cybercrime in Uttar Pradesh.

During the event, senior UP Police officers provided an alarming overview of the current cybercrime landscape. The National Cybercrime Analysis from January 2022 to August 2024 revealed staggering statistics -

·         Total Complaints Nationwide: 38,85,395

·         UP Cybercrime Complaints: 6,09,511 (15.7% of the national total)

·         Financial Fraud Cases Nationwide: 79% of all complaints

·         Financial Fraud Cases in UP: 84.53% of complaints

·         Nationwide Fraud Amount: ₹19,860 crores, with UP accounting for ₹3,153 crores

·         Fraudulent Mobile Connections Blocked by UP Police: 116,652 (2nd rank)

·         Verified Mule Bank Accounts in UP: 21,445

The event's highlight was the keynote address by Dr. G.K. Goswamy, IPS, Director of the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Sciences (UPSIFS). Dr. Goswamy shed light on emerging cyber threats, including cyber slavery, digital arrests, and AI-enabled crimes. He discussed real-world case studies, captivating the audience with his analysis of how criminals exploit technological advancements to outpace law enforcement efforts.

His discussion on cyber slavery—where Indian citizens are duped into cybercrime operations abroad—was particularly eye-opening. He also delved into the complexities of AI-enabled crimes, illustrating how artificial intelligence is being weaponized by criminals to perpetrate sophisticated fraud.

Following Dr. Goswamy's address, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, IPS, SP Cyber Crime UP, presented a deep dive into the mechanisms behind cyber slavery and the challenges of international scam rings. His session highlighted the sophisticated methods used by these organizations to coerce victims and evade law enforcement.

Rajesh Kumar, SP, Cyber Crime, emphasized the borderless nature of cybercrime, challenges related to mule accounts, whitelisted loan apps, and the increasing use of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities. He urged greater collaboration between law enforcement, banks, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to prevent the misuse of banking systems and called for a 24/7 presence of bank nodal officers to combat fraud.

A workshop organized featured several top experts, including Prof. Triveni Singh, Former IPS Officer and Chief Mentor, FCRF; Vivek Ranjan Rai, ACP, Noida; Santosh Khadsare, Chief Technology Officer, SysTools; Arun Shankar Chandrasekaran, VP of Operations & Fraud Risk, Payments & Lending, Paytm; Parijat Tiwari, Sr. VP – Merchant Ops & Risk, Paytm; Mehnaz Perveen, VP of Trust & Safety, Paytm and Dr. Manini Srivastava, Assistant Professor, University of Lucknow.

These experts covered key topics such as critical infrastructure security, rising financial fraud, online crimes against women and children, and the latest cybercrime trends and investigation tools. Live demonstrations showcased cutting-edge investigation techniques, equipping attendees with the practical knowledge needed to tackle cyber threats.

The workshop’s primary goal was to empower police officers and attendees to spread cybercrime awareness in their communities. The training sessions were designed to create a ripple effect, with participants encouraged to educate those in their neighborhoods, further strengthening UP’s cyber defenses.