Cyber Fraud Awareness Program in Kothagattu Singaram Village..

A cyber crime and financial awareness program was conducted in Kothagattu Singaram village of Shayampet mandal with the support of the Reserve Bank of India, under the Financial Literacy Centre. The program was chaired by CFL Counsellor Marapalli Kranti Kumar, with Head Constable Laxman and village Sarpanch Shivaji attending as chief guests.

The speakers said that online frauds are increasing day by day due to artificial intelligence–based videos and messages. Many people are unable to identify what is real and what is fake, which is leading to confusion and financial loss. They explained that several people have been cheated by unknown links shared on WhatsApp, which promise free money or loans without any security.

They warned that sharing OTPs with unknown persons and opening unauthorized links are major reasons for the rise in cyber crimes. Fraud cases are also increasing where people are asked to return money sent through PhonePe or Google Pay, claiming it was sent by mistake. To stay safe, people were advised not to open unknown links, never share OTPs and avoid sending money through suspicious links. Panchayat Secretary Nagashree, Marapalli Vijay, Prasad, Parakala councillors, ward members and others participated in the program.