Hyderabad CP Sajjanar calls for coordinated action to curb cyber fraud
Hyderabad, July 10 (TNT): Hyderabad City Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Friday called for coordinated action by banks, telecom operators, regulators and law enforcement agencies to eliminate mule accounts and ghost SIMs, describing them as the backbone of cybercrime networks.
Speaking at the National Round Table on Digital Trust & Citizen Protection, organised by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) in association with Hyderabad City Police and Protiviti India at Federation House here, Sajjanar said cybercrime had emerged as one of the most organised forms of crime, operating across jurisdictions through technology and social engineering.
He urged citizens to promptly report cyber frauds by calling the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, saying early reporting significantly improves the chances of freezing fraudulent transactions and recovering money.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, Sajjanar said Hyderabad alone was losing nearly Rs 1 crore every day to cyber frauds and stressed the need for a holistic approach involving law enforcement agencies, banks, telecom companies, technology providers, educational institutions, industry bodies and citizens.
“The most effective weapon against cybercrime is awareness,” he said, urging citizens to resolve not to fall prey to online fraudsters.
The event, themed “Protecting Citizens from Fear-Driven and Greed-Driven Digital Frauds,” brought together senior police officials, banking experts, cybersecurity specialists, telecom professionals, legal experts, policymakers, industry leaders and citizens to deliberate on the evolving cyber fraud landscape and recommend measures to strengthen digital trust.
A Citizens’ Handbook on Digital Fraud Awareness and Prevention was released on the occasion to help the public identify, prevent and respond to various forms of online fraud.
FTCCI President R. Ravi Kumar said rapid digitalisation had transformed businesses and daily life but had also created new vulnerabilities, making collective efforts essential to build trust in the digital ecosystem.
FTCCI ICT Committee Co-Chair Pankaj Diwan said India, which records nearly 25 billion digital financial transactions, was also witnessing over 10,000 cyber fraud cases daily, necessitating urgent and coordinated action.
The programme featured technical sessions on the state of digital fraud, citizen concerns and industry perspectives, with experts discussing banking fraud risks, telecom-related frauds, legal remedies, AI-enabled scams, deepfakes and identity protection.
Participants were divided into thematic groups covering human behaviour and digital trust, banking transformation, telecom and digital identity, regulatory reforms, and AI-driven frauds. The groups presented recommendations aimed at enhancing digital resilience, improving citizen awareness and strengthening institutional coordination.
Summing up the deliberations, FTCCI ICT Committee member Dr. Shreeram Iyer said technology alone could not address cyber fraud and that awareness, accountability, regulation and innovation must go hand in hand.
FTCCI said it would organise similar awareness programmes and stakeholder consultations periodically and release a White Paper based on the round table discussions.
TNT TS
