Professionals & businessmen worst hit by cyber crimes in Kerala

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Professionals and tech-savvy people are more prone to fall prey to cyber criminal activity in the state, a study conducted by the state cybercrime investigation wing has revealed.

Data prepared by the wing as part of its profiling of victims of cyber fraud shows that of the 1,103 cases registered this year, only 11 involved jobless people. The rest of the victims were from diverse professions, with most of them (327) working in the private sector. Members of the business community (123) fared badly when dealing with cybercrime. IT professionals (93), touted to have a working understanding of the intricacies of cyber crimes, were also targeted widely. Housewives (93) and pensioners (83) were among the other sections of society that were hardest hit.

An officer involved in the operations of the cyber wing said those with an internet connection and money to spend are being targeted by cybercriminals. The officer said the profiling of the victims was carried out to scale up defence against such criminal activity.

“The profiling gives us a clear idea of the vulnerability factor. Now, since we know who are the most targeted sections, we can prepare action plans to sensitise members of those communities about the dangers lurking in cyberspace,” the officer said.

Based on the data, cyber cops have already begun conducting awareness classes for various segments. In five districts, awareness classes were held for selected customers of top banks. A senior officer said cyber fraud run by financial criminals targets well-off members of society. The next action plan of the cyber wing is to coordinate with banks to identify their top customers and sensitise them to cyber crimes.

The cyber wing will also conduct awareness classes for doctors, as 55 of them were scammed by cyber criminals this year.