The Delhi Police Monday said it has been receiving numerous complaints about Covid-19 patients falling prey to cybercriminals, and eight FIRs have been registered in this connection at CyPAD and different police stations. Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava Monday directed his officers to immediately put in place a comprehensive strategy to curb the spurt in cyber offences.

The police said in a statement that later a meeting of all district Cyber Crime Cells and Crime Branch was held, which was coordinated by the CyPAD or Cyber Prevention Awareness & Detection Center, the Delhi Police’s nodal cybercrime unit.

Senior officers of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) of MHA and the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) were also present as special invitees in the meeting, the statement said.

The NPCI and I4C have agreed to intensify cooperation in this regard and to get the bank accounts being used by cybercriminals frozen and their SIM cards highlighted to the Department of Telecom so that it becomes further difficult for them to continue with such criminal practices, it said.

According to the statement, each and every complaint about cyber fraud will be duly inquired into and appropriate action taken.

The CyPAD will act as the nodal point for interacting on a daily basis with authorities concerned. All major cyber-criminal networks based out of Jamtara, Mewat, Purulia etc. shall be under intense scrutiny, the statement said.

Police said in the statement that they have urged the citizens to call on the Covid-19 helpline number 011-23469900 to report incidents that include overcharging by ambulances, harassment faced at cremation grounds, black-marketing of life saving drugs, oxygen and medical articles, and cheating and fraud in the name of supplying Covid-19 drugs.

The inputs, regarding online frauds in the name of supplying oxygen or medicines, are being verified and it is noticed that people in desperation are not verifying before transferring money online to unknown persons who claim to be oxygen or medicine providers, the statement said.

Taking cognisance of such cheating and fraud, eight FIRs have been registered in CyPAD and different police stations, it said.

"#DELHIPOLICE ACTION ON COVID CHEATS | Did someone #cheat you in name of providing oxygen/medicine/hosp bed/remdesivir etc? U paid online & its gone? 1. Report on #155260 so we can stop ur money frm reaching cheat. 2. Report on http://cybercrime.gov.in 3. Call4 asst #01123469900," the Delhi Police said in a tweet.