In a proactive step to combat the rising tide of cyber crimes, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha joined local MLAs Bonda Uma and Gadde Rammohan in participating in a cyber crime awareness walkathon organized by the city police. The event aimed to educate the public on the increasing threats posed by cyber criminals.
Speaking at the event, Minister Anitha emphasized the alarming rise in cyber crimes, noting that innocent citizens are losing massive sums of money from their bank accounts. “This program is critical in making the public aware of the dangers associated with cyber crimes,” she stated. Anitha urged individuals to remain vigilant, advising against engaging with messages, emails, or WhatsApp communications from unknown sources, as well as cautioning against responding to claims of winning lottery or loan applications. She warned potential offenders of severe punishments if caught committing cyber crimes.
Vijayawada Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu addressed the attendees, revealing that a robust response system is in place to tackle these challenges. Currently, 250 cyber commandos and 2,000 cyber soldiers have been trained and deployed to help prevent cyber criminal activities. He echoed the Home Minister’s concerns, noting that there has been a nationwide surge in such crimes, which predominantly affect educated individuals.
The Commissioner announced plans to expand training efforts, with the aim of preparing an additional 300,000 cyber soldiers in the next three months. Rajasekhar Babu encouraged everyone to report any incidents of cyber fraud immediately by calling the emergency number 1930.
