Hyderabad loses ₹1 crore daily to cybercrimes, says Police Commissioner Sajjanar

Hyderabad: People in Hyderabad are losing nearly ₹1 crore every day to cybercrimes, Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar said on Sunday. He was speaking at the launch of a new awareness campaign called “Jaagrut Hyderabad – Surakshit Hyderabad” (Aware Hyderabad – Safe Hyderabad), aimed at educating the public about online frauds.

The campaign was launched by Sajjanar and Director General of Police (DGP) B. Shivdhar Reddy, who also unveiled the ‘Cyber Simbha’ logo and QR code. Volunteers were given badges to spread awareness about cyber safety across the city.

DGP Shivdhar Reddy said cybercrime has become a major social issue and not just a technical problem. “Criminals are exploiting people’s greed and fear. They are committing crimes through phone calls, social media, and online interactions by obtaining personal information such as wealth, age, and location,” he said.

He added that women, senior citizens, and homemakers are the most common targets, as fraudsters often contact them when they are alone and scare them into transferring money. To tackle the problem, the police have started ‘Cyber Patrolling’ and taken several preventive steps to reduce cases this year compared to last year.

Commissioner Sajjanar said the goal of the campaign is to create awareness at the grassroots level. He urged citizens to be cautious and not trust unknown calls, links, or apps. “Never share OTPs, passwords, or banking details with anyone,” he warned. He also advised using strong passwords and avoiding sharing personal details with strangers on social media.

He appealed to people to report cyber frauds immediately by calling 1930 or filing a complaint on the national cybercrime portal at www.cybercrime.gov.in.

Sajjanar encouraged everyone — especially youth, retirees, and community leaders — to join the campaign. “If one person tells 10 others, and they tell 20 more, it will become a movement. If every household has at least one ‘Cyber Simbha’, our society will be safe,” he said.

At the end of the event, participants took a ‘Cyber Pledge’ to stay alert and spread awareness against online frauds.