Online Fraud Incidents Increasing Due to Rising Internet Use

Recently, online fraud incidents have increased significantly. The main reason for the increase in online fraud is the growing use of the internet. The use of social media and digital payments is also increasing. People who are not proficient in such technologies are more likely to fall victim to fraud.

In some cases, people have become victims of online fraud due to confusion, trust, and greed. Those involved in fraud hide their identities. Online fraud incidents are occurring not only locally but also across borders.

With the widespread use of the internet and the way digital payments are being made, criminals consider it an 'opportunity'. Online marketing and online shopping are creating temptations. People are falling into such fraud traps due to greed, temptation, and not taking the necessary precautions while using social media or making online payments. People also get cheated when they try to make quick profits with less effort.

There is a need for regulatory bodies to spread awareness. Investigating agencies have been trying to prevent fraud. Efforts are being made to reduce fraud. The police have been providing awareness messages to avoid online fraud, but people are falling victim to fraud by ignoring such advice.

Specifically, awareness programs are being conducted regarding the illusion of winning lotteries, receiving goods, and not sharing OTPs while making digital payments, yet many fraud incidents have occurred. The police are also bringing those involved in the crime to justice through swift investigations.

To control such fraud, public awareness campaigns should be conducted regularly. For example, coordination needs to be increased between banks, digital payment service providers, telecommunication companies, and social media platforms. Suspicious numbers, websites, and accounts should be identified and brought under the purview of legal action.

Instead of just waiting after being defrauded, cyber monitoring should also be done. We also call it digital surveillance and patrol. Security personnel go on physical patrols to prevent crime, and similarly, cyber monitoring should be done. It is important to increase monitoring to understand who is active, what formats are appearing, and which advertisements are true and which are false.

Awareness programs about what cyber is and how to avoid cyber fraud should be intensified in schools, colleges, and at the community level. Awareness should be continuous. Given the way fraud is occurring through electronic means, are the current investigation methods and the technology available to the police sufficient? If not, what improvements are needed? This also needs attention.

Initially, only the Cyber Bureau of the police handled cyber-related crimes. Now, all district police offices have been given the responsibility to investigate such cases. The scope of cybercrime investigation has been expanded. With the expansion of the investigation scope, victims can file complaints at local police units, leading to faster and more efficient investigations, but this alone is not enough.

As technology expands, investigative resources and tools must also be increased accordingly. There is a need to enhance the capacity of investigating agencies and the skills of human resources in the same proportion. Similarly, an integrated network should be established between banks, digital service providers, telephone service providers, social media, and the police.

It is necessary to establish networks, coordination, and information exchange not only within the country but also with foreign countries. After an incident, there is a method to block the amount of online fraud. The tracking system should be improved to immediately block the amount from the concerned bank or wallet. The system for informing service providers and tracking immediately should be made integrated.

• New Styles of Fraud

Looking at the recent trend of online fraud, criminals are using new styles. A common fraud tactic is telling you that you have won a lottery and need to make a payment to receive it. Similarly, new fraud styles include telling you that a package sent by a friend from abroad is stuck at customs and you need to send money for its release, or luring people with the promise of good jobs abroad.

There are also incidents of blackmailing and other malicious activities after establishing a romantic relationship. Scammers posing as bank staff ask for OTPs or screen sharing to fill KYC details, and incidents of hacking social media accounts to demand money are now common.

The most prevalent style currently is defrauding people by offering cheap mobile phones and other gadgets. Primarily, we need to confirm what item we are buying and from which seller. Payment should not be made in advance; it should be made after receiving the goods. We also need to ascertain the market price of the item. We should consider why a seller is trying to sell an item worth 1 lakh for 65 thousand. Caution is necessary in this regard.

People have a tendency to be a bit lazy and not understand details. Ordering goods through online shopping without proper understanding has become a fashion. The trend of ordering goods out of greed for cheap prices, without understanding the reality, has increased. Therefore, it is important to understand who the seller is, what the payment method is, and who is doing the marketing. I believe that one should transact only after understanding properly.

Various factors play a role in the daily increase of fraud. Primarily, there is more digital transaction activity now. Fraud incidents have increased due to transacting without understanding the details, payment methods, and the selling organization when making digital transactions. Criminals are taking advantage of the widespread use of social media and the significant advancement of technology to commit fraud. As technology changes, the methods of committing crime are also rapidly changing.

Awareness plays the biggest role in preventing fraud. Banks also need to play a role in increasing awareness. To avoid fraud, banks are seen conducting awareness programs on keeping strong passwords, not sharing OTPs, and not sharing screens. The police are also doing this. However, there is a need for reliable coordination between investigating agencies, banks, telecommunication companies, and digital payment providers. It is not enough for service providers to give information only once; since we have a tendency to forget, continuous awareness campaigns must be conducted. Awareness on how to set strong passwords to avoid such fraud should come from the banking sector itself.

(Based on an interview conducted by Ratopati correspondent Rajesh Bhandari with retired SSP Shrestha from the police)