In response to the increasing incidents of cybercrime in Mumbai and Maharashtra, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, in partnership with the NGO Brush of Hope, introduced a new helpline on Friday. This helpline is designed to support victims facing cyber threats, bullying, and sextortion.
Maharashtra Cyber Additional Director General of Police Yashasvi Yadav noted that the stereotype of cybercriminals as individuals in hoodies working alone is outdated. Instead, these criminals now operate from organized setups with numerous participants generating significant profits.
During the helpline launch event for 022-65366666, Maharashtra Cyber Police Yadav highlighted that two criminals involved in such activities last year even purchased a helicopter, illustrating the scale of their operations. He also pointed out Jamtara in Jharkhand as a notorious center for cybercrime.
“Even as we speak, 128 Indian girls are being subjected to cyberbullying and sextortion, and this number swells to about 15000 globally. We need necessary cyber-hygiene, as awareness is the best remedy against cybercrime. Any material you put on the internet will forever remain on some server across the globe. Even if you try to delete it, the digital footprint always remains,” he said while asserting that “the Internet never forgets”.
Yadav compared them to the largest organized crime syndicate globally, highlighting the challenge of the situation by noting that India has 700 million smartphones. Brush of Hope was established by Sheetal Gagrani to assist victims of cyberbullying and sextortion after her niece tragically lost her life due to these issues. The individuals involved in the case have been apprehended by Maharashtra Cyber Cell.
The helpline was inaugurated with the presence of BMC commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani, along with actors Farhan Akhtar and Jacqueline Fernandez, and former actress Gayatri Oberoi, among others.
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