Bajaj Finance Ltd (BFL), India’s largest Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the private sector, and part of Bajaj Finserv, held a cyber fraud awareness programme at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas – Knockout Digital Fraud – to inform digital users about different types of threats, and best practices to safeguard finances.
The Knockout Digital Fraud programme aligns with the Reserve Bank of India’s 2024 guidelines on Fraud Risk management for NBFCs, which emphasises early detection, staff accountability, and public engagement to make the digital ecosystem safer for everyone.
The programme is focused on drawing citizens’ attention to common financial frauds committed by scammers including fake social media accounts, WhatsApp groups and websites that mimic financial companies, falsely claiming affiliation and impersonating their employees.
Speaking at Bajaj Finance Limited’s Fraud Awareness Programme in Baruipur, Inspector-in-Charge of Baruipur Cyber Police Station, Shri Progati Ranjan Biswas, cautioned – “Fraudsters often exploit low awareness—especially among well-off, socially established, and even literate individuals—by luring them with false promises of wealth or threats such as the so-called ‘Digital Arrest,’ which has no legal basis.
They may impersonate police or other officials in uniform, claiming that narcotics have been found in the target person’s parcel, or that their ATM has been blocked—thus trapping them into revealing sensitive financial information or clicking harmful links.
I urge everyone to remain vigilant, avoid falling prey to greed, report suspicious activity to the nearest police station, and never share OTPs or personal information with unknown or unauthorized individuals online. Stay alert, stay safe.”
Speaking on the occasion, a spokesperson from BFL, said, “The financial safety of our consumers is paramount to us. We are constantly issuing online and offline advisories, on social media platforms, as well as through on-ground interactions with citizens, encouraging everyone to be cyber safe.”
Experts and dignitaries present at the event included Shri Progati Ranjan Biswas, Inspector-in-Charge; Shri Alok Kumar Bisoi, Sub-Inspector; and Shri Vivek Bhagat, SSP of Baruipur Cyber Police Station. Retired Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sujit Kumar Sarkar, also graced the occasion.
Knockout Digital Fraud offers the cyber community valuable safety tips on safeguarding personal and sensitive information. This includes refraining from sharing OTPs, PINs, clicking on suspicious emails, SMSs, links, QR codes and downloading applications from unknown sources. It includes a series of interactive workshops, digital awareness drives, and community outreach programs across major cities and towns.