Mysore/Mysuru: As part of its monthly talk series, the Elder Citizens Council, Mysuru, recently organised an awareness talk at its premises in Jayalakshmipuram on cybercrime by Arunkumar, Lead and Mobilisation Coordinator of ‘Vayoh Vikas,’ an NGO led by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan.

Using a power-point presentation and interactive session, he explained how cyber frauds operate through smartphones, methods to prevent them and steps to recover losses by promptly contacting the CEN helpline (1930) within one hour of the incident.

Arunkumar said most cybercrimes exploit fear, urgency or greed when victims receive calls from unknown numbers. He cautioned that fraudsters often induce panic or pressure victims into following instructions without verifying facts, resulting in substantial losses.

He also warned against investment and business scams that lure victims with promises of quick profits, as well as so-called “digital arrest” frauds that coerce victims into transferring large sums.

Arunkumar highlighted cases involving individuals and well-known firms that suffered losses and cited an instance where a fake bank branch operated for over a year. Stressing that many such crimes are preventable, he urged senior citizens to uninstall suspicious APK files that compromise privacy and banking security.

He also advised limiting the use of online payment apps and wallets linked to accounts with minimal balances, rather than primary salary or savings accounts.

The programme was presided over by Council President Dr. H.M. Nagaraju. Trust Chairman Gowdappa, Secretary K.S. Krishna, Prof. Javare Gowda, K.V. Ramanath, V.N. Achar, H.R. Sundareshan, D.K. Srinivasan, Shamma, Chidananda, T.V. Kamalesha, J.S. Girigowdar, K.V.K Naidu, Latha, Prabhuswamy, Srinivas, Dr. K.L. Mahadevappa, Kempalingaraju, S. Suresh, N. Swamigowda, R. Sankaramahadevan, B.V. Narasimham, Sannalinge Gowda, S.L. Nagaraje Urs, K.V. Shankara, S. Seenappa, T. Swarnakumar, S.V. Venkateshaiah and Dr. B. Gururaj attended.