Bengaluru: Six more molestation complaints against Bellandur preschool

Cybercriminals and hackers siphoned off at least a whopping Rs 465 crore from people across Karnataka in 2023 alone, i.e., an average of Rs 1.27 crore per day, according to the latest data from the Criminal Investigation Department. 

Investigators foresee a “colossal” rise in new-age cybercrimes in the current year as fraudsters upgrade their game and adopt new ways to cheat.

The total money lost to cybercrimes in 2023 rose by a staggering 151% year-on-year and by 450% compared to 2021.

Cybercrooks pocketed Rs 185 crore in 2022 and Rs 84 crore in 2021. 

Karnataka last year reported 21,868 cybercrime cases. Bengaluru alone reported 17,623 of them. 

The most common money-spinning crimes were phishing, FedEx scams, investment and task completion frauds, according to MA Saleem, Director General of Police, CID, Special Units and Economic Offences. 

Police officers privy to cybercrime investigations last year say OTP and phishing frauds dominated the first few months of 2023 but as the year wound down, FedEx, investment and task completion frauds, and Aadhaar-enabled payment scams took hold. At the same time,  many victims fell prey to sextortion, loan app harassment and counterfeit websites.

While Bengaluru reported a lion’s share of cybercrimes, senior police officers believe the extent of cybercrimes in the state’s small towns and villages is grossly under-reported because many victims do not file complaints.

For example, Hassan reported just 100-150 cybercrimes and Tumakuru 250-300. 

Ashok KV, Superintendent of Police, Tumakuru, says most victims in rural areas are either unaware that they can file complaints in such cases or simply don’t realise the fraud. 

“In some cases, they lose small amounts of money and just let it go,” Ashok said, adding that the police are holding awareness programmes to educate people about the different types of cybercrimes. 

Hassan SP, Mohammed Sujeetha MS, notes that in Hassan, most cases are filed at town police stations, mostly by people having connections in Bengaluru. Two months ago, Hassan police launched an initiative called ‘Tereda Mane’ to bring police and people together and raise awareness about crimes. “We need to reach every last person but that’s a long way to go,” she said.

Another senior officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said young adults from rural areas hesitate to inform their elders and approach the police despite falling prey to cyber scams, especially if it’s of a sexual nature. 

Bengaluru North Deputy Commissioner of Police Saidulu Adavath, under whose watch police cracked the first-ever FedEx scam, pointed to the large number of mule accounts being operated from rural areas in Karnataka.

“We arrested four people in Davangere who had lent their identity documents for creating mule accounts that were eventually used to carry out the scams. They were lured with government schemes. People in rural areas are prone to creating mule accounts. It’s a trend,” he said.

Speaking at a recent conclave on cybercrimes, C Vamsi Krishna, DIGP, CID, noted that cybercriminals are increasingly using Malware as a Service (MaaS). He also believes AI can be used to carry out cybercrimes through malware. 

Another senior officer from the CID said fake websites had mushroomed all over the internet to carry out cybercrimes. “These websites have typos in their name but look legit. Cyber fraudsters use them to siphon off money from people booking travel tickets,” the officer said.

Bengaluru: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said his party is in a comfortable position as there is no 'Modi wave' in the state.

He claimed that the BJP did nothing in the state during its four years rule and did not fulfill any of its promises.

"Congress is in a very comfortable position as far as Karnataka is concerned. There is no Modi wave in Karnataka because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not left any footprint in Karnataka during the last 10 years of his rule," Shivakumar said in an exclusive interview to PTI.

He said while crores of rupees had been collected as taxes from Karnataka by the Union government, the state did not get anything in return, even during the severe drought being faced in 230 out of 236 taluks.

On BJP fielding noted cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath against his brother and three-time MP D K Suresh in Bengaluru Rural constituency, Shivakumar claimed that Congress will win with a victory margin of over two lakh votes.

Regarding the BJP-JD(S) electoral tie-up in Karnataka, Shivakumar said it is a failed alliance and the people will reject them.

"(H D) Kumaraswamy (JD(S) leader and NDA's Mandya candidate) and all the JDS candidates will lose," he claimed.

On Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly levelling corruption charge against him, Shivakumar said it was a political allegation against him.

"There is nothing against me, they can’t prove anything. These are baseless allegations against me," Shivakumar added.

Shivakumar denied any dissent in the party over ticket distribution for the Lok Sabha polls stating that the entire Congress party is united.

"There is no dissent and within 24 hours we will sort it out. But in BJP, the party is burning from within. The BJP workers are going to kill the BJP itself. The BJP has changed (candidates) in around 10 seats and they know that they are losing in the campaigns," he said.

Bengaluru: Actor-turned-politician and independent MP from Mandya in Karnataka Sumalatha Ambareesh on Friday joined the BJP.

Veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, state President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly R Ashoka, national General Secretary in-charge of elections in Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda were among those who welcomed the 60-year-old into the party fold at its state headquarters here.

With BJP ceding Mandya seat to its alliance partner JD(S) in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Sumalatha, after consulting her supporters and wellwishers in Mandya, on Wednesday announced her decision to opt out of the elections, and join the BJP.

The wife of popular film star M H Ambareesh, Sumalatha had earlier staked claim for BJP ticket for re-election from the Mandya seat that was represented by her late husband in the past. But the party convinced her and gave it to JD(S).

JD(S) state President and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is now the alliance's joint candidate from Mandya.

Kumaraswamy on Sunday met Sumalatha, and sought her cooperation in the polls.

As an independent candidate, Sumalatha had won the seat in 2019 by defeating the then Chief Minister Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy of JD(S), by a margin of 1,25,876 votes, with the BJP's support.

It was a bitterly fought election back then. The JD(S) was in an alliance with the Congress at the time.

Sumalatha entered politics in 2019 and plunged into the poll arena as an independent, after the Congress, of which her late husband was a part, denied her the ticket, as the party had ceded the Mandya seat to its then alliance partner JD(S). Both parties were then running a coalition government under Kumaraswamy's Chief Ministership.

Late Ambareesh had served as MP, MLA and Minister in Karnataka and at the Centre in the Congress governments. He was also part of Janata Dal in the past.

In the 2019 polls, Sumalatha rode on a sympathy wave following the death of her husband, who was an icon of sorts in Mandya district.

Popular Kannada film stars like Darshan Thoogudeepa and Yash (Naveen Kumar Gowda), along with her son Abishek Ambareesh had extensively campaigned for her then.