‘Cyber Tuesday’ to create awareness against cybercrime: Patna DM

Patna: In a bid to tackle the rising threat of cybercrime and digital fraud, the Patna district administration will observe every Tuesday as ‘Cyber Tuesday’, with awareness campaigns to be held across the district against cybercrime, digital arrests and bank fraud to educate citizens and prevent online fraud.The initiative was announced at a meeting chaired by Patna district magistrate Kundan Kumar on Saturday. As part of the campaign, awareness programmes will initially be conducted in schools and colleges before being extended to other public places. Outreach camps will also feature dedicated sessions on cybercrime and digital arrest scams.The DM directed police and IT cell officials to use the latest technology to identify cybercriminals and take strict action against them. He also asked station house officers to monitor SIM card sellers in their respective areas and ensure compliance with govt norms governing the sale and purchase of SIM cards. Action should be taken against unauthorised sellers, he said.The DM further directed that cybercrime, digital arrest scams and bank fraud, as well as the action taken against offenders, be included as agenda items in meetings of the district-level banking coordination committee.He said cybercriminals were looting people’s hard-earned money through various forms of fraud and stressed the need for coordinated action by the police, banks and the administration. Cyber help desks will also be established at all police stations to assist victims and spread awareness about cyber fraud.