In two years, Bathinda district sees nearly 50% rise in cybercrime cases

Over the past two years, Bathinda has witnessed a surge in cybercrime cases with criminals exploiting the digital landscape to defraud residents, businesses and even government departments.

As more individuals and institutions embrace online services, cybercriminals are finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, leading to a significant increase in incidents ranging from online fraud to identity theft.

According to local police data, the number of reported cybercrime cases in Bathinda has risen. While the district reported 896 complaints in 2022, this year so far, it has reported 1,334 complaints.

Local residents have fallen victim to fraudulent online transactions with criminals impersonating bank representatives or online merchants to steal money. “I received an email that appeared to be from my bank, asking me to verify my account details. A few days later, I noticed a withdrawal from my account,” said Rajinder Singh, a Bathinda resident who lost over Rs 25,000 to a phishing scam. The police say this type of scam has become one of the most common forms of cybercrime in the region.

Apart from individuals, local businesses have also been targeted by hackers. Small businesses, which often lack advanced cybersecurity measures, are particularly vulnerable. “We lost our entire online sales revenue for the month due to a ransomware attack,” said Amrita Kaur, a local boutique owner. “The hackers encrypted our files and demanded a large sum to restore access. It took us weeks to get everything back to normal.”

Social media scams have also emerged as a major concern. Criminals are increasingly using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to lure people into fraudulent schemes. Fake job offers, online lottery winnings and even fraudulent investment schemes are commonly used to deceive unsuspecting users.

An alarming trend has been the rise in “sextortion” cases, where perpetrators blackmail victims with compromising photos or videos, often obtained through fake social media profiles. These criminals threaten to release explicit content unless the victim pays money. The police say they have received multiple such reports from individuals, particularly young people.

Local authorities have acknowledged the challenge of addressing the growing problem of cybercrime. SSP Amneet Kondal said, “We are regularly taking various awareness initiatives through public meetings, school camps and social media awareness regarding ‘1930’ helpline.”

She said, “We have a dedicated cybercrime police station. Our team helped refund a lot of cyber fraud money to victims by painstakingly following up the cases with relevant banking institutions.”