Vijay Sharma urges students to report cyber fraud immediately on 1930; over 500 students participate in awareness programme
TFP Bureau, Raipur, September 12, 2026: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma on Saturday launched ‘Cyber Sankalp’, a nine-module video course aimed at creating greater awareness about cybercrime and digital security among citizens.
The initiative was launched at Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University as part of the Chhattisgarh Police’s ongoing Cyber Awareness Campaign, which seeks to improve public awareness about cyber fraud and promote safer use of digital services.
Speaking to more than 500 students from the university and colleges in Raipur, Mr. Sharma said digital technology had become an integral part of everyday life, with banking, shopping, education, business and government services increasingly moving online. However, the rapid expansion of the digital economy had also created new opportunities for cybercriminals.
He said the nine ‘Cyber Sankalp’ video modules, each of about five to six minutes, would explain emerging forms of cyber fraud, basic digital security practices and preventive measures in simple language.
‘Report fraud immediately on 1930’
Mr. Sharma stressed the importance of taking immediate action after a cyber fraud. He urged victims not to panic or delay reporting the incident and to contact the cybercrime helpline 1930 at the earliest.
He said the initial period following a cyber fraud was crucial, as prompt reporting could help law enforcement trace and intercept the money and improve the chances of recovery.
The importance of this ‘golden hour’ was highlighted through the experience of Dr. Sen, who shared his ordeal of being defrauded of more than ₹1 crore through a ‘digital arrest’ scam. After contacting the police promptly, ₹60 lakh of the defrauded amount was recovered.
The case was presented to students as an example of how timely reporting can make a significant difference in cyber fraud cases.
Students urged to become cyber awareness ambassadors
Mr. Sharma called upon students to become ambassadors of cyber awareness and spread information about online safety among their families and communities. He particularly urged them to help elderly family members understand emerging forms of cyber fraud.
Students were advised to remain cautious about social media scams, fraudulent calls, requests involving one-time passwords, banking fraud, malicious links and digital arrest scams.
The Deputy Chief Minister also urged citizens to participate in the Cyber Crime Volunteer initiative being run by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. The initiative seeks to encourage public participation in preventing and reporting cybercrime.
Police officials explain emerging cybercrime methods
Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Amit Kumar advised students to remain alert to changing methods of cybercriminals and follow basic online safety practices.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Gaurav Mandal explained different forms of cybercrime, their modus operandi and preventive measures.
University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sachchidanand Shukla said awareness among students, teachers and the wider public was essential to counter the growing threat of cybercrime.
The programme was attended by Raipur Police Commissioner Dr. Sanjeev Shukla, Inspector General of Police (Technical Services) Prashant Agrawal, Additional Police Commissioner Amit Tukaram Kamble, University Registrar Shailendra Patel, faculty members and police officials.
Campaign underway till October 2
The Chhattisgarh Police’s Cyber Awareness Campaign is being conducted from August 15 to October 2. The campaign focuses on educating citizens about different forms of cybercrime, preventive measures and the immediate steps to be taken after becoming a victim of online fraud.
