Alipurduar police have taken an initiative to impart awareness among school students across the district on cybercrime and security so that they, in turn, can aware their parents, relatives, and neighbours to refrain from making any move that can lead to financial or other losses.

On Friday, police launched the campaign at the Alipurduar indoor stadium where students from different educational institutions were called and briefed on various types of cyber crimes.

The district police chief, Y. Raghuvamshi, said: “Cyber crimes are on the rise these days and to check such crimes, it is necessary to aware people. That is why, we have chosen students of higher classes who can play an important role to campaign among the general public and apprise them about the potential options by which criminals can dupe them. Also, the students are being apprised as to how one can be safe from these criminals.”

According to the police chief, 12 different counters have been opened at the camp where senior police officers are briefing students in groups.

“After the sessions, the students are being asked questions and based on their performance, we will select some of them as 'Cyber Yodhas' (Cyber warriors) and they would be asked to campaign in their localities,” he added.

Sources in the police said, students are being briefed about cyber crimes like digital arrest, online shopping fraud, loan fraud, video call fraud, ATM fraud, lottery and parcel fraud, fraud in aadhaar link, fraud in social media, fraud in debit and credit card operations, fraud in OTP sharing, fraud in investment, among others.

The camp, which will continue till Sunday, was inaugurated by R. Vimala, the district magistrate and the Superintendent of police. Girl students, who are in twelfth standard, from the town's three higher secondary schools were called for the sessions.

They were divided into groups and each group was briefed in each of the 12 counters. The officers, while talking to them, also referred to some of the cybercrime cases that they have handled in the district.

“Altogether, it was a two-hour-long session for each school, and during the session, some of the girls pointed out how their parents or relatives had been cheated by frauds by clicking into unknown links or by sharing OTPs and PIN,” said an officer.

He said that such camps would be held in each block of the district in due course. “It will ensure participation of more and more students at the local level,” the officer added.