Telangana Cyber Fraud Surge: What Saudi Arabia's Cybersecurity Strategy Has Taught It on Prevention
 

Of late, Telangana has experienced a disturbing spurt in cyber frauds. Its residents have been losing significant amounts to online scams. The district of Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem are particularly witnessing an exponential rise in cases where lakhs of rupees lost to fraudsters. One lady from the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district was tricked to lose Rs 37 lakh through a fake online investment scheme. Similarly, another employee from Khammam district lost Rs 44 lakh in another scam. According to the Cyber Security Bureau, the state loses Rs 4-5 crore every day to such frauds and stands among the top five states in India for cyber fraud.

Despite all the awareness campaigns by the police, many people continue to fall into these scams. The victims include educated people who do not know much about online fraud, and thus their savings for important life events are at risk.

Saudi Arabia's Successful Cybersecurity Strategy

Saudi Arabia is a good example for Telangana in the fight against cybercrime. The country has been able to effectively tackle online fraud with the help of robust cybersecurity strategies. The long-term solution to cybercrime has been focused on education and awareness in Saudi Arabia. In 2021, the Department of Education partnered with the National Cybersecurity Department to launch specialized training programs. Initiatives that included scholarships for students pursuing courses in cybersecurity have led to a surge in the number of cybercrime experts in the country. This strategy has not only increased public awareness but has also provided a ready workforce with the skill to combat online fraud effectively.

Telangana's Call for Action

Telangana Police are making all efforts to combat the growing instances of cyber fraud after rising complaints. Bhadradri-Kothagudem District SP Rohit Raju said the police are checking all complaints related to cybercrime minutely and introducing new systems. The plans include greater public awareness and enlightenment among the people about various precautions necessary. These moves are going to be ready by the middle of this month-December.

Similarly, in Khammam, it has received 292 cybercrime complaints filed since July 2023 and resulted in a loss of Rs 1.40 crore. Experts also said that the inclusion of cybersecurity education at the intermediate and degree levels can be instrumental in checking the rise of cybercrime in the future.

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