TV
As college admissions are underway in Odisha, cyber fraudsters have been targeting several innocent students with fake promises of assistance in the admission, registration, and hostel accommodation. A recent case from Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore district highlights the growing threat of tech-enabled scams on campuses, police sources said on Wednesday.
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According to official sources, cybercriminals have now turned their attention to college students, using deceptive techniques to commit fraud during the busy admission period. These fraudsters are exploiting the rush and confusion around admission, registration, and hostel accommodation to scam students by impersonating college officials.
Incidents of cybercrime from the degree college have brought this alarming trend to the limelight. A student was tricked into transferring Rs 6,000 online to someone falsely claiming to be the college principal. The fraudster promised to help with admission formalities and hostel accommodation, which led to the student being duped by the trickster.
Following this, four more students seeking admission also reported similar experiences. The impersonator used similar methods, offering fake assistance in exchange for money through online platforms and digital wallets, Balasore Police sources expressed.
In response to these repeated complaints, the college principal has lodged an FIR with the Cyber Police. Cops are probing the issue, urging students and parents to remain vigilant and verify information only through official college communication channels.
Cyber experts have warned that such incidents are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often involving cloned websites, fake e-mails, and manipulated caller IDs.
“Some cybercriminals have become very active these days, taking advantage of the ongoing admission season,” the degree college Principal, Dillip Kumar Ghosh, said to OTV.
“So far, I have received at least four complaints in our college in this regard. Pretending to be this college’s principal, cyber fraudsters have duped one of the students of around Rs 6,000 in two phases. The victim doubted such an act when the cybercriminals demanded another Rs 4,000 from the student for hostel accommodation,” Principal Ghosh stated.
