Finance
The Odisha government launched a special helpline number ‘1930’ on Tuesday for victims of cybercrime in the state. The new initiative aims to combat cybercrime as well, and it will be expanded in the coming days, according to Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.
The decision was made in response to an increase in cases of cybercrime involving finance and sex abuse of women and children. According to Mahapatra, awareness campaigns will be organized for this purpose. Any illegal act in which a computer, communication device, or computer network is used to commit or facilitate crime, he added, must be investigated.
The anti-cybercrime campaign will include elderly people, students, Asha and Anganwadi workers, and self-help groups (SHGs). Thirty-four ‘Sachetanata Rath’ awareness-creating vehicles outfitted with audio and visual materials will be deployed in the state.
People will be warned to double-check the authenticity of financial transactions, avoid friendships with unknown people, and avoid clicking on links, SMSs, and Apps received from suspicious sources.
Symposiums and seminars will be held on a regular basis across the state as part of the fight against cybercrime. Quizzes, debates, and essay competitions will be held at the school level. Odisha is the first state in the country to launch anti-cybercrime campaigns, according to the Chief Secretary.
It is worth noting that 52,975 cybercrime cases were registered in the country in 2021, representing a 5.9 percent increase over the previous year. Similarly, during the same time period, 1485 cybercrime cases were registered in Odisha in 2019, 1931 cases in 2020, and 2037 cases in 2021. Through cyber help desks, the State received 3402 petitions in 2022 and 7700 petitions in 2022, respectively.
Source:OCN
