Thiruvananthapuram: Cyber police have warned the public about cyber frauds being carried out in the name of Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), wherein fake notices are being circulated through social media and email to extort money from individuals and institutions.According to officials, the fraudsters send fabricated notices claiming that cases have been registered against the recipients for allegedly exchanging foreign currency using their IP addresses or for visiting pornographic websites, including those involving children.The notices threaten recipients with arrest warrants, court proceedings and police action, and demand money to settle the alleged cases.In some instances, the victims are asked to respond within 24 hours through WhatsApp or email, failing which they are warned of legal action.Authorities clarified that govt departments and law enforcement agencies don’t send such threatening notices through social media platforms or emails nor do they demand money to close cases.The public has been advised not to click on suspicious links sent by unknown persons and not to share bank account details or personal information. People should immediately report such messages on cybercrime helpline 1930 or through www.cybercrime.gov.in.Officials said that if a person becomes a victim of cyber fraud, reporting the incident within the first two hours increases the chances of recovering the lost money.
