Jaipur, March 5, In view of the rising incidents of cybercrime in the state, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Rajasthan Police has issued a special public advisory warning people about fraudsters posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and other investigative agencies.
Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) V.K. Singh said that cybercriminals are targeting citizens by impersonating officials and threatening them with legal action to extort money.
Superintendent of Police, Cyber Cell, Police Headquarters, Shantanu Kumar Singh said that fraudsters are adopting several tactics to create psychological pressure and cheat people.
One of the most common methods is the so-called "digital arrest" scam, in which criminals pose as officers from agencies such as the CBI, police, customs, or the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
They falsely claim that the victim's Aadhaar card or mobile number has been used in serious crimes such as money laundering or drug trafficking and threaten them over a video call, forcing them to transfer large sums of money to settle the alleged case.
Another common method is SIM deactivation and KYC fraud. In this scam, victims receive a message stating that their SIM card will be deactivated within a short time.
Under the pretext of updating KYC details, fraudsters trick them into downloading fake applications or clicking on suspicious links.
This may result in SIM swapping, enabling criminals to intercept banking OTPs through call and SMS forwarding.
Police officials also warned about fake mobile tower installation offers, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
In such cases, fraudsters lure people with promises of monthly rent ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 and large advance payments in exchange for installing a mobile tower on their land.
They then demand money under the pretext of agreement or registration fees.
In another method, criminals send emails or letters using fake logos and letterheads of agencies such as TRAI, the CBI, or the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and threaten legal action to intimidate people into transferring money.
The Rajasthan Police advised citizens to remain cautious and verify any suspicious communication.
Officials clarified that TRAI never conducts questioning through video calls or carries out any form of "digital arrest".
People have been urged to immediately disconnect calls from individuals claiming to be government officials who attempt to threaten or intimidate them and never share personal information, bank details, or OTPs with unknown persons.
Any information related to mobile tower installation should be verified through the official website of the Department of Telecommunications at dot.gov.in.
The police have also appealed to the public to report cyber fraud incidents immediately.
Victims can file complaints through the national cybercrime helpline number 1930, the special helpdesk numbers 9256001930 and 9257510100, the online portal cybercrime.gov.in, or by contacting the nearest police station or Cyber Police Station.
The Rajasthan Police urged citizens to stay alert and report suspicious activities promptly to help curb cybercrime.