GS4 · UPSC Mains
Jajantara, one of the districts in Eastern India has emerged as a hotspot of voice phishing activity. Voice phishing, also known as 'vishing', is the use of fraudulent phone calls to trick people into giving money or revealing personal information. Vishing fraudsters often use modern VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) features such as caller ID spoofing and automated systems (IVR) to impede detection by law enforcement agencies. Vishing is typically used to steal credit card numbers, banking details or other information for identity theft and related crimes. The promise of earning huge amount of money in shorter span of time is used to lure unemployed and educated youth into this scam. The entire vishing racket is being run like an organised crime. The networks that run these scams have also started feeding other crimes like arms smuggling, money laundering, and gang wars. The system is on the verge of collapse and the common people are losing faith in the capability of administration to improve law and order in the district. The situation has been further worsened by unconfirmed reports that local politicians as well as some senior police officers are providing surreptitious patronage to the phishing mafia. The poor reputation of the district has started to reflect in international headlines. The youth from the area are stigmatised and face hurdles in gaining employment due to the negative perceptions about the district. You are a police officer who is appointed as superintendent of police to bring the situation to normalcy. Identify the various dimensions of the crisis. Based on your understanding, suggest measures to deal with the same.
| Topper | Rank | Source | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minal Negi | AIR 66 · 2025 | Forumias | p.8 |
| Snehith Chakka | — · 2024 | Forumias | p.48 |
| Shivendra Pandey | — | Forumias | p.44 |