CYBER ENCOUNTERS: Cops’ Adventures with Online Criminals

Cybercrimes have become a global concern, with individuals, businesses, and governments alike falling prey to increasingly varied traps in the digital realm. Fuelled by the widespread use of technology and the internet, these crimes pose serious threats to personal privacy, financial security, and national security. Cyber Encounters: Cops’ Adventures with Online Criminals takes readers through India’s cyber landscape, examining prevalent crimes like hacking, fraud, identity theft, and cyberbullying, and shedding light on their alarming rise. The book is written by Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and former DRDO scientist O.P. Manocha, and published by Penguin Random House India. It was released in April 2023 and spans 198 pages across 13 chapters, along with a few closing notes.

With a strong focus on the legal framework around cybercrime, the book examines India’s existing laws and regulations, and makes the case for greater public awareness as a first line of defence against evolving threats. It highlights the challenges of enforcement and stresses the need for proactive, robust legislation that keeps pace with a rapidly changing threat landscape. A key focus throughout is the investigation process itself — the complexities of gathering digital evidence and the role law enforcement plays in fighting these crimes. The authors also underline the importance of specialized cybercrime units and stronger public-private partnerships.

Understanding the different types of cybercrime — and the psychology of both criminals and victims — is essential to reducing these threats effectively. Hacking, one of the most common forms, involves unauthorized access to computer systems or networks to exploit or manipulate data, often resulting in data breaches, financial theft, or disruption of critical infrastructure. Online fraud covers a range of deceptive practices, from phishing to identity theft to credit card fraud. Cyberbullying uses digital platforms to harass or intimidate victims, often causing serious psychological harm, social isolation, and in extreme cases, tragic outcomes.

Ransomware attacks can leave organizations teetering on the edge — causing severe financial loss, reputational damage, and disruption to services. Cyberterrorism, meanwhile, uses coordinated attacks via the internet and dark web to target critical infrastructure, government systems, or public utilities, aiming to sow chaos and fear on a large scale. No single category of cybercrime is less serious than another. Social engineering, too, remains a powerful tool for criminals, who deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information for financial or reputational gain. At the root of it all lies our growing dependence on one deceptively convenient tool: the internet.

A Collection of True Stories

The book is a compelling anthology of true accounts, each following a police officer’s successful resolution of a real cybercrime case. Each chapter draws readers into the background of a case before building toward a climactic turning point. Through its narrative style, the book offers insight into the psychology of its characters — their vulnerabilities, the mistakes that led them astray, and the human cost that follows. It serves as a reminder of just how serious the consequences of carelessness online can be, and why vigilance matters.

The writing flows naturally, immersing readers in each story while weaving in flashbacks that add depth and a strong sense of realism — qualities that would make it well suited to an audiobook adaptation. Notably, the book’s simple sentence structures and accessible language make it approachable for a wide range of readers.

The 13 Chapters

1. Bitter Honey
2. The Lottery That Was Never Won
3. The World’s Most Expensive Dog!
4. Daring to Masquerade as the Top Cop
5. The Money Doubling App or the Money Dwindling App?
6. No One Dare Use Plastic Money
7. A Bunch of Teens Fleece Senior US Citizens
8. Sextortion
9. Phish-erman Gets Caught in the Net
10. Taken for the Ride of His Life Instead of a Heli-Ride
11. A Quick Gain Is a Quick Loss
12. Can You Bank Upon a Banker?
13. The Incessant Challenges Posed by Cyber Gangsters (Epilogue)

Every chapter opens with an intriguing teaser. Chapter 6, for instance, is introduced with: “Inspector Rajesh faces jaw-dropping cyber encounters as he sets out to catch an invisible thief, who leaves behind nothing but digital footprints.” These teasers draw readers in — and what makes each story even more striking is that they’re all based on real cases the police officers actually worked to resolve.

As each chapter unfolds, the characters, scenarios, and backgrounds gradually come into focus, helping readers follow the protagonist’s journey and understand how one situation leads naturally to the next.

This descriptive style also helps readers recognize the small, everyday mistakes many of us make — whether from being rushed, careless, unaware of how systems work, or simply reluctant to learn. Whatever the reason, the book shows how these small missteps can snowball into much bigger consequences.

One striking example: “He did not notice that the LED at the mouth of the card swipe slot, which normally blinked green, was off today. The first thing he did when he reached home was to stack his card and money carefully in his steel Godrej almirah locker.” Soon after, Ravi discovers he’s been defrauded of ₹1,89,000 in multiples of ₹9,000 — a single overlooked blinking light leading to significant damage. A small mistake, with a profound effect.

In Conversation with the Author

I asked Ashok Kumar what motivated him to write a book on cybercrime. He explained that while technology and the internet have made everyday tasks — payments, online orders, hotel bookings — far more convenient, India’s internet user base far outnumbers the police force available to handle related crimes. The only real way to slow the pace of these crimes, he said, is through greater public awareness. That’s why he and Manocha decided to write a book covering the essential dos and don’ts of using cyber services safely.

Some Eye-Opening Statistics

India’s internet penetration rate has grown sharply, reaching roughly 48.7% in 2022, up from just 4% in 2007 — meaning nearly half the country’s 1.37 billion people now have internet access, giving India the world’s second-largest active internet user base. Connections tripled by 2021, though urban areas remain far better connected than rural ones. Despite affordable data plans, usage still hasn’t reached its full potential, held back by low awareness and a persistent gender gap.

India also ranks second globally in social media users, with 755 million recorded in 2022 — behind only the United States, and well ahead of Russia, Japan, Germany, and the UK. That number is projected to reach 1.17 billion by 2027. The US ranks third, with Indonesia and Brazil rounding out the top five.

In an environment where technology moves this fast, staying secure becomes a genuine challenge — and the risk of cyberattacks grows accordingly. Protecting a country the size of India from digital traps is, quite literally, a Herculean task.

As Kumar emphasized, raising awareness of cyber behaviour and threats is crucial to prevention — and so is understanding victim psychology: how and why people fall into these traps, and the psychological toll it takes on them, given that many cybercriminals show no restraint.

The Human Cost

Each story in the book carries a strong emotional undertone. Cybercriminals rarely target specific individuals deliberately — it’s often a matter of chance, a hit-and-trial approach that ensnares whoever responds. But nearly every story builds toward an emotional climax. Madhu, for example, kept sending money to buy her daughter Diya a pet dog for her birthday. Having lost her husband and struggling with depression, she had grown increasingly protective of her daughters — valuing their happiness above money, which made her an easy target for a manipulative scammer who gained her trust and led her to spend a fortune on “the world’s most expensive dog,” without pausing to question it.

Cybercrime disproportionately affects women, with online harassment, revenge porn, and privacy violations causing significant harm. Addressing this requires greater awareness, stronger legal protections, and better support systems. Kumar has noted on social media that Dehradun is one of the safest places for women in the country, thanks to community support and the Uttarakhand police’s Gaura Shakti App — an SOS-based safety tool accessible via Dial 112.

Another chapter follows Hadley, a retired American senior citizen who called what he believed was an authorized Microsoft helpline to fix a video-calling issue with his son. Lonely and anxious during the pandemic, and desperate to connect, he fell for a scam run by a group of teenagers. In another story, a family’s pilgrimage to Kedarnath — part of the Char Dham Yatra — turns into a costly lesson, when a simple helicopter booking becomes an expensive scam, underscoring how deeply devotion and emotion can be exploited.

Grounded in Real Places

The book frequently references real locations — Vasant Kunj, Patel Nagar, Nehru Colony, Jolly Grant Airport, Vinayak Nagar, Ajmal Khan Road — lending the stories an added layer of authenticity. The authors could have anonymized these details, but keeping them intact makes the accounts feel more real and relatable to readers’ own neighbourhoods.

Convenience, too, plays a recurring role in these stories. Dev, a cab driver applying for a loan from SBI, shared his card’s CVV and OTP simply to avoid a trip to the bank — a shortcut that cost him ₹25,000. Even Amitabh Bachchan, who wrote the book’s foreword, was scammed out of ₹5 lakh through phishing.

Several chapters — including “Sextortion” (Chapter 8) and “A Bunch of Teens Fleece Senior US Citizens” (Chapter 7) — touch on scams involving pornographic websites. Chapter 9, “Phish-erman Gets Caught in the Net,” traces back to Jamtara, Jharkhand — the real-world setting made famous by the web series of the same name.

Lottery scams — the familiar emails claiming a jackpot win or unclaimed inheritance — also feature prominently, most notably in Chapter 2, “The Lottery That Was Never Won,” a reminder that genuine windfalls are rarely so easy or so fast. “Honey trapping” scams get their own spotlight too, in the chapter “Bitter Honey,” where fake profiles are used to lure victims into emotionally manipulative relationships that end in financial fraud.

On AI and the Future of Cybercrime

I asked Kumar how he sees AI shaping the future of cybercrime. He was direct: AI could dramatically increase both the scale and sophistication of these crimes. Deepfakes, he said, may soon become commonplace, blurring the line between real and fabricated content and enabling scams built on impersonation, identity cloning, and voice cloning. Identity cloning alone, he noted, can open the door to phishing and extortion — and the field is still working out how to keep pace with these emerging risks.

Artificial intelligence — spanning machine learning and natural language processing — is transforming industries from healthcare to finance to transportation. But that same power cuts both ways, with deepfake technology in particular capable of producing convincing manipulated content that spreads misinformation, damages reputations, and undermines trust in media at scale. Addressing this will require better detection tools, greater media literacy, and updated legal frameworks — alongside responsible AI development to protect the integrity of information in the years ahead.

Legal References Throughout

A notable strength of the book is its inclusion of specific legal references for each case. Vikas’s FIR, for instance, was filed under Section 66D of the IT Act 2000 and Section 420 of the IPC 1860. A separate online relationship scam was registered under Sections 292, 354C, 384, and 385 of the IPC alongside Section 66E of the IT Act. Anil and Sunil’s cases — involving losses of over ₹70,000 and ₹90,000 respectively — were filed under Section 420 IPC and Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act. These details give readers a clear sense of their legal rights and the specific protections available to them, case by case. Throughout, the authors stress a consistent message: anyone who falls victim to cybercrime should come forward and file a complaint without hesitation.

The Officers Behind the Cases

The book also highlights the dedication and resourcefulness of the police officers involved — their commitment to finding creative solutions when a case reaches a dead end. In many instances, victims are advised by investigators to stay in contact with fraudsters to help trace them and better understand their methods. Inspector Harish, for example, struggled to piece together information across social media platforms until he began thinking like the fraudster himself — a shift in approach that ultimately cracked the case. Small, human touches also stand out — like an officer offering a victim a glass of water to calm them down — reflecting the quieter, more compassionate side of police work.

Reading each chapter — teaser, story, and closing takeaway — gives the book a feel reminiscent of shows like Savdhaan India and Crime Patrol. Its simple, consistent format is likely part of why it has become a bestseller.

Cyber Wisdom, Chapter by Chapter

Each chapter closes with a practical takeaway:

1. Protecting Personal Information — Think twice before accepting friend requests from strangers, and adjust privacy settings to limit access to personal data.
2. Beware of Unsolicited Communications — Verify any lottery or prize notifications independently, and never pay a fee to claim winnings.
3. Secure Online Shopping — Stick to reputable websites, confirm a seller’s legitimacy before paying, and meet sellers in person for larger transactions where possible.
4. Identifying Fake Profiles — Check a stranger’s friend count and post history before accepting requests, and cross-verify any request for money.
5. Avoiding Suspicious Apps and Offers — Be wary of unfamiliar apps promising easy money, and use strong, unique passwords.
6. Protecting Against Card Fraud — Watch for tampered ATM or POS devices, use chip-enabled cards, avoid sharing card details, and shield your PIN when entering it.
7. Maintaining System Security — Keep operating systems and antivirus software updated, avoid suspicious links, and back up important files regularly.
8. Assessing Video Calls and Online Relationships — Be cautious of video calls from strangers, and meet people in person to confirm relationships are genuine.
9. Safeguarding Sensitive Information — Never share OTPs, login credentials, or card numbers, and avoid clicking on suspicious pop-ups or links.
10. Ensuring Secure Online Transactions — Avoid advertised links and go directly to verified websites; check reviews for signs of manipulation.
11. Vigilance in Business Deals — Verify companies and platforms through multiple sources before committing to a transaction, and stay sceptical of unsolicited business offers.
12. Financial Security Measures — Review bank statements regularly, close unused accounts, enable multi-factor authentication, keep KYC details updated, and avoid using Aadhaar cards for address verification given their link to biometric data.

A Note from Co-Author O.P. Manocha

When I asked O.P. Manocha to share his perspective, he explained that both authors conducted extensive research while writing the book, including meeting the investigating officers behind each case to better understand the circumstances, the victims, and what led them toward such uncertain choices. He believes both young people and senior citizens need far greater familiarity with the risks of the internet — and that this understanding should be treated as a priority, not an afterthought. Senior citizens in particular, he noted, are often held back by unfamiliarity with technology and the anxiety that comes with it, which can lead to poor decisions in moments of pressure. As a result, cybercrime complaints have risen sharply.

Last year alone, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) — the Ministry of Home Affairs’ cybercrime reporting portal — received over a million complaints. I4C works around the clock with law enforcement to identify and resolve cases, invests in research partnerships with universities and institutes to develop new tools, and advocates for adaptable cyber laws and stronger international legal cooperation.

Manocha’s point is well taken. Think about the elderly people in your own life — how many can comfortably use a smartphone, laptop, or tablet without help? And of those, how many truly understand the risks involved, or know how to browse safely?

A Note on Necessity

This kind of unfamiliarity can carry a real financial and emotional cost. Ajay and Madhu’s situations show how ignorance and personal hardship can lead people to decisions they’d never otherwise make. But the truth is, stepping away from digital platforms altogether isn’t really an option anymore — from groceries to cab rides, monthly bills to vacation bookings, nearly everything today runs through technology in some form. For young people especially, life is deeply intertwined with digital trends and tools.

A few more statistics worth noting: China leads the world in internet users, with over a billion of its 1.4 billion population online, followed by India’s 692 million users — the second-largest online population globally. India was also the second-largest country for first-time online shoppers after the 2020 pandemic, with 5% of its population falling into that category — tied with Australia, and just behind Canada and France, both at 6%.

E-commerce has transformed global retail. As internet access continues to expand — with over five billion users worldwide — online shopping keeps growing alongside it. Global retail e-commerce sales are projected to reach $7,391 billion by 2025, up from $6,151 billion currently.

Final Thoughts

There’s no question the internet has become essential to modern life. I still prefer spending time outdoors and connecting with people in person, but I recognize that today’s youth increasingly rely on online platforms to connect and get things done — which makes broader awareness of safe internet use more important than ever.

That’s exactly what this book sets out to achieve. It covers a wide range of crimes affecting people across age groups and walks of life, brought to life through detailed storytelling and thoughtful illustrations by Ms. Sunita Negi, which add real depth to each case. The book’s cover, designed by Gurudev Sidhu and Manish Bhatt of August Communications, is simple, symbolic, and instantly conveys the book’s purpose.

Cyber Encounters has earned praise from notable figures including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Ruskin Bond. I’d recommend this book to everyone — it has real potential as a web series adaptation, and it’s the kind of book that deserves to be read rather than left on a shelf. Now is the time to be more alert and thoughtful about how we use online services — and to spread that awareness further.

My one suggestion to the authors and publisher would be to translate the book into more regional languages, to widen its reach and its impact in preventing cybercrime.

The book is available in Hindi and English, priced at ₹211 (paperback) and ₹200.45 (Kindle edition) on Amazon.

It was a genuinely rewarding book to read and review. Signing off — happy reading!

— Smruti Sweta Samantray