The Kerala police on Saturday warned the public against cyber fraudsters sending fake notices in the name of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to extort money from individuals and institutions.

In a statement, the police said the fraudulent notices are being circulated through digital platforms such as email and WhatsApp.

The fake notices allegedly accuse recipients of activities such as illegal foreign currency transactions through their IP addresses and accessing obscene websites, including those involving children, and claim that cases have been registered against them.

The fraudsters threaten victims with arrest warrants, court proceedings and police cases, and demand money to drop the charges, the statement said.

In some instances, the victims are asked to respond within 24 hours through WhatsApp or email, failing which they are threatened with legal action.

The police clarified that neither the government nor any law enforcement agency sends such threatening notices or demands money through email or messaging platforms.

People have been advised not to click on suspicious links or share bank details with unknown persons.

If such messages are received, the public should immediately report them by calling the cyber helpline:1930 or through the portal of the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, the police said.

The statement added that reporting cyber fraud within the first two hours—referred to as the “golden hour”—can significantly increase the chances of recovering the lost money.