Raja bilal cni
Srinagar, CNI: Jammu and Kashmir’s Crime Investigation Centre for Excellence chief, SSP Mohammad Yaseen Kichloo, on Friday revealed that 95% of cybercrime cases reported in the UT involve bank fraud, while 12% pertain to child exploitation, sextortion, and other digital abuse.

Speaking at a press conference, Kichloo said cybercrime in J&K is rising sharply, with fraudsters using social engineering, malware, and fake job offers to trap victims. He warned against “digital arrest” scams where criminals impersonate officials and scare victims into revealing sensitive information. He cited a recent case involving teachers in Kashmir, who were saved after timely intervention.

Kichloo said that if victims report frauds within the “golden hour,” the cyber unit can freeze transactions. Nearly Rs 7 crore was recovered and returned to victims last year. He stressed on digital hygiene, recommending two-factor authentication, avoiding public charging stations, and caution while clicking unknown links or PDFs.

Emerging threats include Facebook cloning, sextortion via video calls, and steganography, where malware is hidden in images or documents. He also warned about cyber slavery, where youth are lured through fake job offers and trafficked to countries like Cambodia to run online scams.

The SSP urged the public to stay alert, avoid sharing OTPs or personal data, and immediately report any cybercrime via helpline 1930 or nearest cyber police station. “You are not alone. We are here 24/7 to protect you,” he assured. (CNI)