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Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Meta alerts help Uttarakhand cops save over a dozen people from ending their lives since 2022
The Uttarakhand Police managed to save a 30-year-old Haridwar man from dying by suicide because a technological intervention by US-based Meta, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp as well, alerted them when the man put out a post on Instagram announcing his decision to take his life. This is one of many such stories that have lately emerged from the Himalayan state. The Uttarakhand police tied up with Meta in August 2022 for timely alerts whenever the tech giant tracks a post related to suicide on Facebook or Instagram. With Meta's help, the Uttarakhand police has so far foiled over a dozen suicide attempts in various districts, including Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun. Deputy superintendent of police (cyber crime cell), Ankush Mishra, who is the nodal officer of the project in Uttarakhand, said, 'On June 19, Meta informed us via an urgent call and an email that a person from Haridwar had posted on Instagram indicating his intent to die by suicide. Two officials on duty at the cyber crime police station in Dehradun — sub inspector Mukesh Chand and constable Nitin Ramola — shared the details with the Haridwar district control room, Haridwar Kotwali Nagar and senior police officials of the district. Upon receiving the information, a team from Haridwar police promptly reached his house and counselled him from taking the step.' 'Upon questioning, the person revealed that he was severely distressed due to family issues, which led him to post about ending his life on Instagram,' the police said. 'If someone posts about suicide (using keywords like poison, hanging, suicide) on Facebook, Instagram or any other platform owned by Meta, the company's algorithm picks these keywords and immediately sends an alert to the nodal officers of states,' Mishra said. The DSP further said, 'Sometimes, I receive calls from Meta officials at odd hours like 2-3am due to different time zones in the US and India. I have now set a different ringtone for international calls so that I immediately know that it's urgent. They ask us to check the email, which contains complete details of such posts and the social media user. We then coordinate with the district control room and share with them the person's name, location, and sometimes even photos. The cops from the local police station then reach the location and counsel the person along with the family members.'
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
Char Dham heli scam: 51 fake websites, 111 numbers blocked
Dehradun: Amid ongoing efforts to curb the Char Dham heli-booking scam, the state cybercrime unit has blocked a total of 51 fake booking websites and 111 mobile numbers used in related fraudulent activities across the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The data, shared by the state cybercrime unit on Thursday, also revealed that 56 bank accounts linked to fraudulent transactions have been frozen. The action was taken with support from the ministry of home affairs' Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) portal. "We have also reported 30 WhatsApp numbers used to circulate fake heli-booking messages across the country," said DSP Ankush Mishra of the state cybercrime unit. Mishra added that last year, the police had approached Google to block certain keywords associated with the scam, which led to the removal of several fraudulent websites from search results. "In line with directions from DIG (law & order) Dhirendra Gunjyal, several legal notices were also served to Meta, requesting the removal of fake advertisements related to heli-booking services from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. These efforts will continue in the coming days," he said. Mishra urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling for such scams. "We want to remind people that Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is the only authorised platform for booking Char Dham helicopter services for devotees," he said. Dehradun: Amid ongoing efforts to curb the Char Dham heli-booking scam, the state cybercrime unit has blocked a total of 51 fake booking websites and 111 mobile numbers used in related fraudulent activities across the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The data, shared by the state cybercrime unit on Thursday, also revealed that 56 bank accounts linked to fraudulent transactions have been frozen. The action was taken with support from the ministry of home affairs' Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) portal. "We have also reported 30 WhatsApp numbers used to circulate fake heli-booking messages across the country," said DSP Ankush Mishra of the state cybercrime unit. Mishra added that last year, the police had approached Google to block certain keywords associated with the scam, which led to the removal of several fraudulent websites from search results. "In line with directions from DIG (law & order) Dhirendra Gunjyal, several legal notices were also served to Meta, requesting the removal of fake advertisements related to heli-booking services from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. These efforts will continue in the coming days," he said. Mishra urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling for such scams. "We want to remind people that Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is the only authorised platform for booking Char Dham helicopter services for devotees," he said.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
U'khand police cautions against fraudulent donation links for Op Sindoor
Dehradun: The cybercrime unit of Uttarakhand Police issued an advisory on Saturday, warning citizens about fraudulent links being circulated by scammers under the pretext of seeking donations for armed forces personnel involved in Operation Sindoor . The advisory was released after the unit received reports of such links being sent to individuals in the state via messages from unknown numbers. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of state cyber crime unit and Special Task Force (STF) Ankush Mishra said that no cases related to this scam have been reported in the state so far. "It has come to light that cyber fraudsters are trying to deceive people on the pretext of Operation Sindoor conducted by the armed forces against Pakistan-based threats. The fraudsters pose as members of the armed forces or govt officials and solicit donations by sharing a link, claiming it is for the welfare of armed personnel involved in the operation. These links are entirely fraudulent and have no association with the armed forces or any official govt platform," he said. He further advised the public not to click on such links. "If someone falls victim to this scam, they should immediately report it by calling the cyber helpline at 1930 or by visiting the nearest police station," he added.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Time of India
Hotel firm manager duped of Rs 3 crore by fraudster posing as managing director
Dehradun: The general manager (GM) of a private hotel firm's accounts department in Tehri Garhwal was duped of Rs 3.2 crore by a fraudster allegedly posing as the company's managing director (MD), claiming the money was needed "to develop a new property". The fraud took place on May 4 and 5 and came to light after the GM (name withheld on request) lodged a complaint with the state cyber police unit in Dehradun. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IT Act and the BNS, and an investigation is State Cyber Cell, Ankush Mishra, said the accused contacted the GM on the morning of May 4 via an instant messaging app. "The accused used the name and photograph of the company's owner to convince him it was the MD," Mishra said. "He claimed it was his new number and said he was working on a deal with another firm, for which he needed the complainant to transfer an advance of Rs 3.2 crore."Believing it to be a genuine request from the MD, the GM transferred the money in two transactions across May 4 and 5 to the account number shared by the accused. "After the transfer, the fraudster blocked the GM's number after which he called the MD on his old number, who denied any such deal or request for funds," said Mishra. The GM then realised he had been duped and filed a police complaint. When asked why he hadn't called the MD directly before the transaction, the GM said he believed the message was genuine, as the MD mostly lives in Canada and usually contacts him via the same app. A probe is on to identify and arrest the accused, said Mishra.
