KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 22
Nepal Police has recorded the lowest number of cases of cybercrime over the period of past three years, thanks to rising awareness against hackers, phishers, and online scammers.
According figures released by Nepal Police, 104 cases of cybercrime were reported to its units across the country in the fiscal 2020-21 compared to 117 in 2019-20 and 167 in 2018-19. The cybercrime cases in 2020-21 were less by 11.11 per cent compared to the previous fiscal. Senior Superintendent of Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, Nepal Police spokesperson, said bringing the guilty to book was next to impossible for the police unless a victim categorically identifies the suspect and files an FIR.
The security agency has been frequently appealing to the users of social media, especially Facebook, to think twice before accepting friend requests from strangers. Accepting strangers not only gives way to the risk of identity theft but also puts unsuspecting persons at the risk of being cheated. Social media is an open platform for all sorts of people, including frauds and criminals, and it cannot identify who is good and who is bad. Women and unemployed youths are more vulnerable to deception. Gullible users may be blackmailed or be persuaded to send money to scammers.
The law enforcement agency further warned that cyber criminals could spread malicious links to people and cheat them through phoney accounts. Nepal Police has cautioned social media users against the traps set by online scammers for the purpose of hacking their accounts to serve their personal interests such as blackmailing, cheating, and extortion. According to Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, the incidents of hacking and having unauthorised access to social media accounts were on the rise in the recent times. The social media users have been advised not to respond to phishing emails, as the scammers are likely to extract the password of account by sending a link.
Security officials have also appealed to social media users not to use the same password for a long time. The users should not create and use a password that can be easily guessed by others and avoid disclosing personal details to anyone. With greater access to the internet, social media has also become a tool for criminals to serve their interest remotely.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 23, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
