The Cyberabad Police have sounded an alarm over the growing digital dangers that are reshaping family life, mental health and social behaviour, urging citizens to adopt strict digital hygiene as cybercriminals increasingly exploit young people and children.
In a detailed advisory titled ‘Caught in the Digital Web – Vigilance is the Only Shield’, police said that online betting, deepfake videos, romance scams, manipulative social-media content, and harmful games are emerging as silent threats, often infiltrating households through mobile phones. Police warned that today’s criminals no longer break into homes, instead they break into minds through screens.
The betting menace, they said, is pulling young people into addiction, debt and emotional distress, with several victims forced to pawn valuables or even attempt suicide. Cyberabad Police cautioned that betting is not a means to earn money but a habit that destroys peace, finances and personal wellbeing. Late-night mobile addiction has also resulted in sleep deprivation, anxiety, academic decline and workplace burnout.
Deepfake technology was flagged as one of the most alarming threats, especially for women, as cybercriminals are now creating fake explicit videos using just a single photo or clip to blackmail victims. Romance scams were described as emotionally devastating, with criminals building trust online before using morphed images and doctored videos for extortion. “What begins with a simple ‘Hi’ on social media often spirals into carefully scripted emotional manipulation. Romance scams are fast becoming one of the most emotionally destructive forms of cybercrimes,” said the advisory.
The advisory highlighted fake police calls and identity-based scams in which people are told their ID is involved in a crime and are pressured to transfer money in fear. Fraudulent job offers and overseas opportunities are also being used to target desperate jobseekers, while illegal courier deliveries have become another tactic for transporting contraband to unsuspecting households, making regular homes a conduit for crime.
Children face increasing risks from dangerous online challenges disguised as games, and from attempts to harvest their biometric data through fake platforms. Youth are also attempting stunts and speeding for social-media fame, often leading to fatal consequences.
Police described sextortion and fake investment platforms on messaging apps as fast-growing threats, warning that clone links, loan apps and microfinance predators are trapping people in cycles of debt. They said the digital age has created new-age crimes that society has never encountered before.
The Cyberabad police urged parents to closely monitor children’s screen time and advised citizens to avoid suspicious calls, links and messages, verify job offers before acting, and report any form of online fraud or intimidation immediately. They stressed that technology is a double-edged sword and that awareness, caution and vigilance are the only real shields in the virtual world.
Published – November 23, 2025 08:10 pm IST
