Truecaller, the leading global platform for verifying contacts and blocking unwanted communication, in collaboration with CyberPeace Foundation, a non-partisan civil society organisation, launched the first training of #TrueCyberSafe focused on Internet safety at the Royal Global University in Guwahati, Assam. The joint initiative by the organisations aims to create awareness and train people to tackle cyber frauds leading to a safer online experience. The safety training that begins in Assam will be held in five regions across India to increase awareness about the steps that our users can take to avoid fraud, spam and scams.
The event was graced by Shri Anurag Goel, IAS, Principal Secretary, IT Department, The Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, Mr. Harmeet Singh, the Founder and GlobalPresident, CyberPeace Foundation, Major Vineet Kumar and Ms. Pragya Misra Mehrishi, Director of Public Affairs, Truecaller and was attended by other important dignitaries, students and faculties of the University.
While delivering the Keynote address and launching the Campaign in Assam, Shri Anurag Goel, IAS, Principal Secretary, IT Department, Assam said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities of cyberspace, which is evidenced by the rise in cyber attacks in the past few years. This can only be tackled through better awareness and building the capacity of people to recognise and report cybercrimes. Taking cognizance of this issue, the government of Assam has taken several measures in the past, including organising a month-long cyber awareness drive and issuing a one-stop guide book on how to stay safe online. We are very happy to see Truecaller play a role in raising awareness, and we wish them all the best. We are confident that this will prove to be an extremely fruitful exercise.”
Gracing the event by his presence, Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, Mr. Harmeet Singh said, “With rapid innovations in technology, there is also a corresponding rise in cyberthreats and online harassment. India has seen a five-fold jump in cyber fraud cases between 2018 and 2021. As we continue our march towards technology, these negative externalities will also continue to grow. Hence, it is imperative that we take measures to empower citizens, and the first step to achieving this is raising awareness about digital safety and outlining the ways in which people can report cyber crimes. I’m certain that this nationwide program will go a long way in realising this goal.”
Pragya Misra Mehrishi, Director of Public Affairs, Truecaller said, “In this modern world, cyber safety is a pressing issue that needs immediate attention and redressal. Our past surveys show that while one in five women in India receive sexual harrassment calls, only 12 percent report it to the authorities. This shows the extent of normalization in the country. Truecaller has always been committed to ensuring digital spaces are safe for everyone. There is a need for citizens, policymakers, volunteers, government and the civil society to join hands to raise awareness and play a role in making digital communication safer for everyone. It is with this objective that Truecaller has partnered with CyberPeace Foundation to launch #TrueCyberSafe to encourage digital users to learn how to stay safe online, take steps to report cybercrimes and aid them in nurturing the faculties of critical thinking and empathy. The program will focus on improving netizen’s resilience and capacity to access the digital world safely, increase awareness on Cyber Frauds and its impact on communities. We are certain that this program will play an instrumental role in raising awareness and creating impact in the society.”
Talking about the “CyberPeace – The Need of the hour” Major Vineet Kumar, Global President and Founder, CyberPeace Foundation said, “Since the past two decades CyberPeace Foundation has emphasised on Online Safety and the issues that might be faced in the upcoming days. Post the onset of pandemic, we did see a rise in the Online Frauds and hence we have constantly collaborated with the organisations across the globe to ensure that the netizens stay CyberAware and CyberAlert and they know the mechanism to report and raise their voices. On our helpline, we get almost 10-11 cases per day related to CyberFrauds. To address this issue, we along with Truecaller believe that this program on understanding online threats and safety is the future of Internet use. When we combine our content and expertise of Truecaller, we can create truly transformative learning experiences that deliver actionable intelligence and we are hopeful to provide the participants with lessons to follow for a safer and peaceful Cyberspace.”
The launch was followed by the inaugural session conducted by Head-Capacity Building, CyberPeace Foundation, Dr. Rakshit Tandon, under the #TrueCyberSafe campaign. During the session Dr. Tandon talked about the recent cyber crimes and Safety measures that one can incorporate in their daily lives to stay CyberSafe. The session also spoke about various reporting mechanisms including the Government reporting portal www.cybercrime.gov.in and CyberPeace WhatsApp helpline number +91 9570000066. The session also discussed the various safety features of Truecaller for users.
