Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar at Cyber Jagarooka Divas
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar on Wednesday, August 5, said that city residents were losing Rs 400 crore to cybercrimes every year. That comes to an average of Rs 1 crore loss per day, he said. In comparison, thefts and robberies were causing a loss of Rs 30 crore every year.
The senior officer was speaking at the ‘Cyber Jagarooka Divas’ organised by the City Cyber Crime Department at Visvesvaraya Bhavan in Khairatabad, attended by retired officials and the elderly.
Former Andhra Pradesh director generals of police Ratan, Malakondayya, and retired engineer-in-chief (ENC) Kareem were also present at the event.
Speaking at the session, Sajjanar detailed how senior citizens are being targeted through digital arrests, pension service scams, and online banking frauds.
He cautioned that under no circumstances should they believe threats claiming to be from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), or police officials in the name of digital arrest. He advised that if calls come from unknown persons like that, they should immediately hang up without panicking.
He warned against falling for online investment ads or trading links that come via WhatsApp or Telegram groups. Share trading should only be done through SEBI-approved registered brokers and authorised Demat accounts, he said.
He also recalled some incidents where parents’ retirement savings vanished because children took their phones and signed up for online gaming or betting apps. He urged not to share banking details, PIN numbers, or OTPs with anyone, including family members.
In case one falls victim to a cybercrime, he suggested responding immediately by calling the 1930 helpline within the golden hour or filing a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Providing information promptly increases the chances of freezing the victims’ money and recovering it, he noted.
Former DGP M Ratan said that to avoid falling prey to cyber scams, he has personally instructed banks not to clear any checks or withdrawals exceeding Rs. 5,000 from his account without his prior permission.
He also advised senior citizens to exercise extreme caution when handing their phones to children since there is a risk that accidentally pressing a button or suspicious link could empty bank accounts in moments.
Meanwhile, former DGP P Malakondayya emphasised that even if victims suffer immense distress after a cybercrime and police register a first information report (FIR), recovering the lost money is extremely difficult. Compared to losses in hundreds of crores, the recovered amount is negligible, so taking preventive measures is the only solution to cybercrimes, he said.
For daily digital transactions, he advised opening a separate bank account with a low balance and using only that, instead of using the main savings account.
Additional CP (Crimes) M Srinivas said cybercriminals are causing fear and anxiety among people with a new method every day, and citizens should always be vigilant about unknown phone calls and messages. The Crime Department is continuously conducting special awareness programs to control cybercrimes in the city and raise public consciousness, he informed.
This post was last modified on August 6, 2026 3:51 pm