Do you think you can never be a victim of a cyber fraud?
If you think so, this Android app created by the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police will give you a reality check.
The yet unnamed app meant to test the cybercrime awareness of internet users poses some really tough questions. This reporter got early access to the Beta version of the app that is still under development and scored a 17.24% risk of being a victim of cybercrime.
“That's not a good score, your score should be 0%,” G Chakravarthy, Assistant Commissioner of Police, shakes his head. “The app is meant to test the awareness of people, it’s still under development and so there is no set release date yet.”
The app comes with a set of 29 questions, divided into two sections. The 16 questions in the first section have ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers, designed to test your digital practices.
The first section poses questions such as, “Would you use your debit card in an ATM with no security guard?” and “If your friend has an online friend who they have known for a year, but is seeking money for an emergency, would you advise him to transfer some money to that person?”
The second half of the quiz has 13 multiple-choice questions, and these are a lot tougher. The questions cover a range of topics that deal with our daily interaction with technology. The end score the app gives you can be quite humbling.
“The economic condition of a person, curiosity and greed are motivators that trick people in falling for online scams,” says Chakravarthy. “We will be adding more questions to the app and will be releasing it in Telugu too.”
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police has the uphill task of trying to create awareness about the various types of cybercrimes that are coming to light.
The annual report of Hyderabad City Police suggests the number cybercrimes reported in the city has shot up. In 2016, the police recorded 237 cases; in 2017, they recorded over 300 cases and in 2018, within the first six months alone, the cybercrime police recorded 224 cases.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data suggests that 12,317 cases of cybercrime were recorded in 2016 from across India.
“These figures do not represent the ground reality. There is a massive under-reporting of cybercrime cases in India and, at present, these numbers represent just 1% of the actual number of incidents,” says Pavan Duggal, a cyber-law expert. “People seldom come forward to report cybercrimes because of loopholes in the legal system.”
“We have undertaken massive awareness programmes warning people not to share their OTPs (one-time passwords) and other sensitive information with others; yet, many still share these details and fall prey to cybercrimes,” says Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) KCS Raghuvir.“Ever since we initiated awareness programmes, many have reached out to us saying they have been able to prevent themselves from falling prey, but more awareness on emerging scams are the need of the hour.”