Fishy phone calls: Cyber crimes increasing in Assam

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Nov 5: In the last few years, India has emerged as one of the primary targets of cyber crimils with rapidly growing use of internet and smartphones. As in other parts of the country, Assam too has witnessed rising incidence of cyber crimes.

Reports of mobile phone calls (for example, calls beginning with number like +911) or text messages from unknown numbers to mobile users based in different parts of the State have become more frequent in recent times.

As part of their modus operandi, these unknown callers ring up a mobile phone user — letting the user know that he or she has won a lottery, while sometimes such callers seek the user's bank account details and ATM numbers. If the user calls back the unknown number for further clarification, no reply is given from that unknown number, with a mechanical voice from that end saying "the phone number does not exist".

Incidents of such cyber crimes are now not only confined to mobile phone calls. Cyber crimils have also started using e-mail as a potent tool for extracting information from the gullible users. Most of these calls or e-mails come from unknown sources to extract information about fincial details of a mobile phone user.

As most of these calls are made using the internet, there is every possibility of stealing sensitive data stored in the mobile phone devices used by ordiry people. Such data can't be stolen unless and until both the mobile phones are connected to the internet.

In one recent case, a trader based in Assam received an e-mail from his mager asking the former to pay an amount to a third party. Later, it was revealed that the mail was not sent by his mager, but by a source unknown to the trader.  

Sources at the CID (Cyber Crime) told this reporter that most of these "fishy" phone calls come from States like Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. "The problem of cyber crimes is aggravating due to the fact that most of the people refrain from filing police complaints. They simply neglect such phone calls and e-mails, and that is why these cyber crimils continue to evade legal action. Only when a person falls into such traps and loses his or her hard-earned money, does he or she come to the police."

When asked whether the Assam Police is in a position to deal with the increasing mece of cyber crimes, sources at the CID (Cyber Crime) asserted it can be tackled by the State Police with all promptness.

However, the sources have urged mobile phone users to be cautious in doing e-banking from their mobile phones, adding that thorough knowledge should be acquired first by the user before conducting such fincial transactions through their mobile devices.

Cyber attacks throughout the world are occurring at greater frequency and intensity. Not just governments and big businesses, individuals too are being increasingly targeted. The profile and motivation of cyber attackers are fast changing. Users therefore need to be aware of what their devices can do, and how crimils can misuse these devices from a distance.