Eliminate mule accounts and ghost SIMs to curb cybercrime, says Hyderabad top cop Sajjanar
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Friday called for coordinated action by banks, telecom operators, regulators and law enforcement agencies to eliminate mule bank accounts
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Friday called for coordinated action by banks, telecom operators, regulators and law enforcement agencies to eliminate mule bank accounts and ghost SIM cards, describing them as the lifeline of cybercrime networks. He was speaking at a roundtable meet called on the subject. “People in Hyderabad alone were losing nearly ₹1 crore every day to cyber fraud.
Cybercriminals operated across jurisdictions using technology, social engineering and sophisticated fraud techniques,” he said. “The faster a victim reports a fraud, the greater the chances of freezing and recovering the money,” he said. The event brought together more than 200 participants, including police officers, bankers, cybersecurity experts, telecom professionals, legal experts, policymakers and industry representatives. Sajjanar also highlighted the importance of public awareness, saying prevention through awareness was more effective than attempting to recover money after a fraud had taken place.
He said every stakeholder, including banks, telecom companies, technology firms, educational institutions, industry bodies and citizens, had a role in building a secure digital ecosystem. On the occasion, the organisers released a Citizens’ Handbook on Digital Fraud Awareness and Prevention to help people identify, prevent and respond to online fraud. During panel discussions, experts examined emerging cyber fraud trends, banking-related scams, telecom frauds, AI-enabled scams, deepfakes, legal remedies and regulatory reforms.
Participants also held thematic discussions on banking, telecom, digital identity, human behaviour, artificial intelligence and legislative changes before presenting recommendations to improve digital resilience and strengthen coordination among stakeholders.
The BriefWire