'Pause, verify and report': Haryana DGP's toolkit to keep online frauds away

Gurugram, Dec 7 (PTI) At a townhall on cybersecurity here on Sunday evening, Haryana DGP OP Singh said people need a counter-toolkit to protect themselves from online scams: the "PVR model".

Terming it a "behavioural vaccine" against the rising tide of digital fraud, the director general of police said people need to 'Pause, Verify, Report' (PVR) while responding to suspicious digital communication.

The goal, he told those gathered at the event, is to give citizens a two-second advantage over cybercriminals, an edge that could prevent financial catastrophes that begin with nothing more than a message, a click, or a moment of panic.

The DGP said that cybercrime is no longer a marginal issue but a mass-scale threat woven into daily digital life, according to a statement.

"Scammers hack the mind before they hack the device," he said. Almost every financial fraud message, he explained, rides on one or more of six emotional triggers: Fear, urgency, trust, curiosity, greed, or carelessness.

"A threat of power disconnection uses fear. A bank alert uses urgency. An impersonated official uses trust. A gift link exploits greed. A mystery message feeds curiosity. A routine OTP request preys on carelessness," he said.

These six vulnerabilities are the scammer's favourite toolkit and people need a counter-toolkit that is even simpler, he said.

"Pause: 'Every scam begins by stealing your calm. A single pause -- two to three seconds -- is often enough to let the initial fear or excitement drain away.

"When you pause, their plan collapses," he was quoted as saying.

"Verify: Check the source. Question the urgency. Look at the number. Don't trust unknown links. Verification is the bridge that pulls citizens from emotional reaction back into rational thinking," the officer said.

"Report: If a message still feels suspicious, citizens must call 1930, the national cyber helpline. Haryana has strengthened this mechanism with trained police staff and embedded bank nodal officers who can freeze fraudulent transactions in real time," the DGP said. "Don't be embarrassed. Don't hesitate. Report immediately." The DGP stressed that "PVR" is not a standalone idea but part of Haryana's broader cyber safety architecture.

Over the past two years, the state has built a robust 1930 helpline operating 24x—7 with trained officers, 29 cyber police stations across districts, cyber cells in every sub-division, a cutting-edge forensic cyber laboratory with 56 specialists, a victim-friendly approach that allows refund of frozen funds without an FIR, among other things.

"We are building a state where victims are not shamed but supported--quickly and effectively," he said.

"If even a small percentage of citizens make PVR their instinct, scammers will lose their biggest weapon --our panic," Singh added. PTI COR SKY SKY