In a landmark achievement, the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai (KCG) District Police, under the “SAMARTH” community policing program has entered the Golden Book of World Records for conducting a massive cyber awareness campaign that reached 35,130 citizens across 218 locations in a single day. The campaign was led by Trilok Bansal, Superintendent of Police. This initiative represents a key advancement in India’s fight against cybercrime, particularly in regions vulnerable to digital fraud.
The SAMARTH initiative, which stands for Suraksha, Adhikar, Mahila Shashaktikaran, Anushashan, Rahat, Traffic, and Himmat focuses on empowering citizens through education on a wide range of cyber threats, including phishing, job scams, sextortion, Google search engine fraud, digital arrest fraud, and other forms of online scams. Special emphasis was placed on educating participants about new cyber fraud tactics, such as criminals posing as law enforcement to make fraudulent “digital arrests” and manipulating Google search engine results to redirect users to fake websites or fraudulent services.
Participants were provided practical steps to protect against these threats, recognise scams, and report incidents via the National Cybercrime Helpline –1930 and the Chakshu portal–a specialised platform for reporting fraud attempts.
A Record-Breaking Achievement in Public Safety
The campaign was of an unprecedented scale, and the effort was officially recognised by the Golden Book of World Records. Smt. Sonal Rajesh Sharma, Chhattisgarh State Head of the Golden Book of World Records, awarded the certificate to SP Trilok Bansal at a ceremony held at the Dr Narendra Dev Auditorium at Khairagarh Music University.
The initiative was carried out with 75 elite police teams, strategically deployed to both urban and rural regions, including areas affected by Naxal violence. These teams were specifically trained to communicate in easy-to-understand language, ensuring that the local population, including those with low literacy levels, could grasp critical cyber safety information. Special efforts were made to develop simplified cyber awareness materials that catered to diverse educational backgrounds, making complex topics like Google Search Engine manipulation and digital arrest scams comprehensible to all.
Reaching Remote and Vulnerable Areas
A key element of the campaign’s success was its focus on reaching Naxal-affected and rural regions. These areas, often lacking in digital literacy, are frequent targets for cybercriminals. Under SP Trilok Bansal’s leadership, special efforts were made to ensure that even the most remote and underserved communities were included in the awareness drive.
Innovative engagement techniques, such as theatrical performances, workshops, and visual demonstrations, were used to disseminate information. By using locally trained teams and making cyber awareness materials simple and accessible, the campaign ensured that critical messages about avoiding cyber fraud were easily understood by people of all ages and educational backgrounds.
The inclusivity of the campaign was one of its defining features. Vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas, are often disproportionately affected by cybercrime due to limited financial literacy. By extending the campaign’s reach into these regions and providing easy-to-understand training, the KCG Police empowered citizens to recognise fraud and report suspicious activities.
