Nowadays whenever we read newspapers, we come across news of different deceptive activities carried out by fraudulent people. This is not only an unethical deed, but it ruins people’s trust for each other. With every passing day, deception trends are getting worse and people are getting more desperate. If we analyse the reports published in different mass media, it will be very easy for us to get an idea about the real picture of deceitful activities in Bangladesh.
According to a piece of news published in this daily on 20 February, a female doctor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) was cheated by a fraud gang. The fraud gang opened several accounts in the names of kabiraj (quacks) and imam (religious preachers) on social media. The CID arrested 20 members of the gang from Dhaka and Magura after the female doctor (victim) filed a case with Khilgaon Police Station. The arrestees used to talk to different victims in guise of ‘Darbesh Baba’ or ‘Kabiraj’. They also circulated attractive and fake advertisements on social media to entrap people in the name of solving personal or secret problems.
One thing is clear from this case. Frauds are now using social media to entrap people of different ages including women. This is getting dangerous day by day as it is often impossible to keep track of what people are doing on social media; thereby making it difficult for law enforcers to catch the culprits. Nowadays deception through social media has reached a different level as fraudsters cash in on the emotional vulnerability of the targeted people.
Unemployment is a common problem in our country. There are at least 2.68 crore employable individuals aged between 15-29 in our country. Out of this huge population, a significant 21.5 lakh, around 8 per cent, youths are unemployed. The current rate is likely to be higher as more people are joining labour force with completion of every semester at different universities. As many youths are unemployed, a section of the fraud people is trying to swindle them by pulling wool over their eyes through different social media. It has come to our attention recently that many gangs are active on telegram and WhatsApp who are deceiving people in the pretext of givin them a chance to earn easy money through remote work opportunities.    
There is no denying that deception or fraud is a vile deed and a punishable crime, as per our laws. It can never bring mental peace. For this reason, fraudsters are mentally unhappy. We should always remember that a cursed life is a life of disrespect and sorrow. But why do people resort to such crimes despite knowing that this kind of criminal activities will not bring any inner peace?
Fraudsters are becoming more desperate in Bangladesh due to light punishment. I firmly believe that public awareness against deception and exemplary punishment could minimise fraudulent activities. Moreover, poverty or joblessness is also responsible for rising rates of deception because many needy persons involve themselves in criminal activities to solve their financial problems. That’s why, we often see that the muggers usually belong to the lower echelon of the society.
In such a backdrop, what could be done to eradicate this problem from our society once and for all? First of all, law enforcers need to take instant and necessary steps whenever incidents of fraudulent activities are published on social media or in mass media. Most importantly, steps must be taken to raise public awareness among cross-sections of people about the social impacts of fraudulent activities on individuals and families. For those who are committing crimes for meeting their necessities, steps should be taken to address the issues that are inspiring them to get involved in petty offences or crimes. Only when we will be able to address the root causes, it will be possible to stamp out this social menace.