New Delhi, February 9 BJD Rajya Sabha member Sulata Deo raised the issue of cyber fraud and fake call scams on Monday, seeking government intervention to protect people from such frauds.
During the special mention in the Upper House, she highlighted the increasing cases of cyber fraud and fake call scams, which are troubling people across the country and causing financial losses.
"People are being cheated every day through fake bank and KYC calls, fraudulent links, OTP scams, and UPI and credit card frauds," she said.
She also mentioned the new trend of online arrests, where fraudsters pose as police or investigating officers and threaten people through video calls, forcing them to transfer money online.
She added that many victims have lost their life savings within minutes.
"I urge the government to strengthen cyber crime police units, ensure quick registration of complaints, improve coordination with banks and telecom companies, and expedite the process of freezing fraudulent accounts," she said.
She also said that large-scale awareness campaigns are urgently needed.
AIADMK member M Thambidurai drew the attention of the government to a recent tragic incident in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where three minor sisters, aged 16, 14, and 12, committed suicide.
He said that preliminary reports indicated that they were unable to control their online digital obsession, and that they were deeply involved in online task-based gaming applications.
Attempts by the parents to restrict mobile phone usage allegedly led to increased emotional distress among the minors.
The heartbreaking incident recalled earlier online games that posed dangerous challenges, allegedly encouraging self-harm among vulnerable adolescents.
The tragedy exposed serious gaps in digital safety, parental awareness, and regulatory oversight, he said.
"This is a national wake-up call. I urge the government of India to strengthen regulations, ensure age verification, promote digital literacy, expand mental health support, and integrate digital safety into education courses," he said.
Ashok Kumar Mittal of the Aam Aadmi Party demanded a law for fixing accountability for public servants.
He said, "I want to raise the issue of administrative insensitivity."
He referred to an incident of a fire due to a lack of adherence to safety standards, which caused the death of children in incubators.
He urged the government to bring a law similar to the Public Service Accountability Act, seeking provisions for lodging criminal cases against irresponsible officers and paying compensation to victims from their salaries.