Mangaluru: Youth dies of alleged self-immolation after his pregnant wife starts avoiding him

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.

In a gut-wrenching tragedy, three high school boys drowned in the Tunga River in Tirthahalli town in Shivamogga district on April 1 evening.

Ayan, Samar, and Rafan, all aged around 16 years, had been to the Tunga River at Rama Mantap in the town after breaking the Ramadan fast (iftar) in the evening. 

All three were Class 10 students of a local high school and close friends.

Around 8 p.m., Tirthahalli police received information that the boys drowned.

With the help of local people, the bodies were retrieved from the river around 11 p.m. Hundreds of people gathered at the river bank. The bodies have been shifted to the government hospital in the town.

Tirthahalli Police have registered an unnatural death report.

Hundreds of strangers became mourners as they came together to pay their respects to a Dubai-based expat who died days after accepting Islam. 

Daria Kotsarenko, who was just 29, passed away in Dubai on Friday after converting to Islam on March 25. Her sudden demise is believed to have been caused by a heart attack.

According to Faris Al Hammadi, a Dubai imam and Islamic content creator, Daria had first visited Dubai three years ago, where she showed a genuine curiosity about the local culture and religion. This led her to conduct extensive research, ask questions, and delve deeper into her search for knowledge.

After her initial visit, Daria explored other countries before returning to Dubai, where she embraced Islam.

The motivational speaker shared: "Even before she embraced Islam, Daria was known for her modesty. She led a virtuous life, devoid of any haram relationships, and dressed modestly. She abstained from alcohol and other prohibited activities."

The imam further praised her by stating, "Her Islam was hassan," indicating that her acceptance of Islam and adherence to its principles were commendable.

The woman had no family or relatives in the country. However, hundreds of people — both Emiratis and expatriates — turned up as she was laid to rest in Dubai’s Al Qusais Cemetery.

The news of Daria's passing brought sadness to residents, both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Messages of condolence and sympathy flooded the Emirates, accompanied by a sense of rejoicing for her. The community found solace in the fact that she passed away during the blessed month of Ramadan, shortly after her conversion to Islam.

"Oh God, she died after converting to Islam when she was 29 years old. She went to God and her paper was pure white,” said @Saad_turkmeni on X. Another person @LuayPrince commented, “May God have mercy on her. Congratulations to her on winning the true path. May God grant her Paradise.”

The imam in his viral video also praised those who played a role in her journey to Islam, highlighting the support and teachings she received from individuals who remained steadfast even after her untimely death.

Massive crowd

Scores of Emiratis and expats turned up at Al Qusais cemetery mosque to offer funeral prayers for the woman on Friday, as seen in the photos shared by janaza_uae. Daria's story had touched many, leading to a massive crowd at the funeral prayers for her on Friday.

The woman also had no family or relatives in Dubai, janaza_uae said in a post on X on Thursday, prompting an outpouring of grief, love, and support.

Here are photos of the crowd during her funeral, as shared on X:

Daria arrived in the UAE as a tourist and eventually started looking for a job, according to several social media sources. During her search, she encountered not only career opportunities but also the beauty of Islam.

A widely shared document indicated that Darya was a Christian who converted to Islam in Dubai on March 25. Her death was believed to have been caused by a heart attack. As a new Muslim in Ramadan, she was fasting when she died.