'Unlove' online

HYDERABAD: With Hyderabad City Police campaigning long and hard regarding cyber crime and its growing menace in Hyderabad, Tollywood stars too are pitching in to raise awareness. In a series of videos released as a part of the campaign, two PSAs in particular seemed to have caught the public’s attention more than the others. One had actor Jr NTR warning internet users to be wary of criminals who feed on private information and blackmail, and another is actor Vijay Devarakonda explaining the hazards of online matrimonial fraud.

Turns out, compared to the other cyber crimes like banking fraud or identity theft, this kind of crime has a lot of stigma and personal trauma attached to it. Let’s take a dive into why this happens and how it can be dealt with. ACP Swathi Lakra, who leads SHE Teams and is also playing an important part in the cyber crime campaigning shares, “While crime like banking fraud are reported immediately, cases that involve personal relationships, like being blackmailed by an ex or matrimonial frauds barely ever get reported. The awareness is to make the public understand that these too have punishment and unless they are reported, no action can be taken.”

Targets

Although one might think that those affected are much likely women, reports state that, men and women are equally targetted in these frauds. In the matrimonial fraud video published by the City Police, the protagonist is cheated into transferring `2 lakh to a woman he never met but found on a matrimonial site and is hoping to marry. Dr Radhika Acharya, a psychologist says, “Cheaters and manipulators like these have what we call psychopathic tendencies. And people with those tendencies are known to have charming and persuasive personalities. It isn’t completely the naivity of the victim in this case.” Swathi Lakra concurs saying, “Vulnerable youngsters are targetted in these frauds. Not just emotionally vulnerable, but also socially vulnerable women and men alike are dragged into these crimes.”

Stigma

While the crime itself is a menace, Swathi laments that most people who are victims of this fraud refrain from reporting it. “Particularly men who are embezzeled or blackmailed do not report the crime majorly because of the social stigma associated with it especially because it’s such a personal experience,” she explains. Dr Radhika also states, “Our culture is and always has been victim-blaming. It could be a major reason for not reporting the crime. More so, as the ones who get cheated easily might suffer from low-self esteem and that makes it harder for them to confront their problems.”

Prevention

Crime can always be prevented. “There is no ‘magic’ solution to find love. It’s always better to have real life meetings and have more meaningful interactions. You might have seen someone on the train that you hoped were single and then half an hour later they will pop up on your timeline,” explains Claire Certain, Global Head of Trends of Happn, a dating app. And even the times when crime can’t be prevented, it must be treated legally. “All it takes is one complaint. Come up to the police station with your problem and we will certainly help you out,” assures Swathi.

— Srividya Palaparthi
srividya.palaparthi@newindianexpress.com
@PSrividya53