To address spurt in cyber offences, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava on Monday directed police to immediately put in place a comprehensive strategy. Police said they are getting numerous complaints regarding the online fraud targetting Covid patients and they have registered eight FIRs in this connection in CyPAD and different police stations.

On Monday, a meeting of all district Cyber Crime Cells and Crime Branch was also held coordinated by CyPAD of Delhi Police. Senior officers of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) of MHA and National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) were present as special invitees in the meeting, a statement released by police said.

The NPCI and I4C have agreed to intensify cooperation in this regard and to get the bank accounts being used by cyber criminals frozen and the SIM cards being used by them be escalated to DoT for mandatory KYC so that it becomes further difficult for the criminals to continue with such criminal practices, it said.

According to the statement, each and every complaint shall be duly enquired into and appropriate action will be taken. CyPAD will act as the nodal point for interacting on a daily basis with the concerned authorities. All major cyber-criminal networks based out of Jamtara, Mewat, Purulia etc. shall be under intense scrutiny.

Police said in the statement that they have urged the citizens to call on the COVID helpline number 01123469900 to report incidents that includes overcharged by ambulances, harassment faced at cremation grounds, black-marketing of life saving drugs, oxygen and medical articles, and cheating and fraud in name of supplying COVID drugs.

The inputs, regarding online frauds, are being verified and it is noticed that people in desperation are not verifying before transferring money online to unknown persons who claim to be oxygen or medicine providers, the statement said.

Taking cognizance of such cheating and fraud, eight FIRs have been registered in CyPAD and different police stations, it said.

The general public is requested to lodge their complaints in this regard on www.cybercrime.gov.in and to make maximum use of helpline 155260. Simultaneously, information can also be shared and assistance be sought from Delhi Police Covid Helpline 011-23469900 or acp-cybercell1@delhipolice.gov.in, it added.