India to train police officers to fight bitcoin scams

For a while now, scams related to cryptocurrencies (bitcoin and others) have been on the rise in India. A lot of cases have been reported in the last 12 months or so. Earlier this year, it was reported that scammers had used a fake Bill Gates quote for a cryptocurrency scam worth $2 million. To fight this rising online menace, the government of India is ready to train police officers.According to a notification posted on the website of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, there will be a two-day course on 'Investigation of cases involving Crypto Currencies'.
As per the notification, the two-day course will be held in Hyderabad on September 5-6, 2019. IPS officers of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Inspector General (IG) will be eligible of the course. The notification further reveals the objectives of the course will involve “introduction to functioning of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology and legal aspects of cryptocurrencies.” Further, the course objectives also include “crimes committed using cryptocurrencies and investigation of cases involving cryptocurrencies.”
While cryptocurrencies remain officially illegal in India as per a directive by the Reserve Bank of India, scams related to it have been on the rise in the last one year or so. Recently, a call centre scam was busted in Indore which used bitcins to target US citizens. 78 people were arrested and as per multiple reports the scam involved tele callers who used fake American accents to dupe US citizens. The scam was unearthed in Indore, Madhya Pradesh where scamsters targeted US citizens by saying that if they didn’t pay a certain amount of money – through bitcoin and other online payment modes – then their US social security numbers would be blocked.
The two-day course for police officials is aimed at training police officers to investigate and solve such scams.