Patna, September 2025
India today finds itself at a defining moment in its digital journey. With more than 850 million internet users, the country is not only among the most connected nations in the world but also one of the most vulnerable. From farmers checking mandi prices through apps, to homemakers navigating e-commerce platforms, to students in online classrooms, and professionals using UPI for instant payments—technology has seeped into the daily fabric of life.
Yet, alongside empowerment, a shadow looms. Cybercrime complaints have more than doubled since 2020, coinciding with the pandemic-induced surge in online dependence. Rural India—where internet usage grew by 45 percent in just a few years—is increasingly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals.
This contradiction between opportunity and vulnerability forms the central theme of Never Be Next – Webkoof: Inns and Outs of Cybercrime, a new book by Patna-based tech entrepreneur Abhinav Das. Published by Sahityagram Prakashan, the 200-page volume has quickly been described as a citizen’s guide to navigating India’s digital jungle.
From Entrepreneur to Author
Das, who has spent over a decade building ventures like Intenext Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Patna SMS, and Patnakart Agro Farms Pvt. Ltd., is not a conventional author. His work in digital governance—including introducing e-office and paperless processes across more than 15 Bihar government departments—exposed him firsthand to the vulnerabilities ordinary citizens face.
“You can run a business from your village, but you can also lose your life savings with one wrong click,” Das reflects.
It is this lived duality—technology as both savior and snare—that led to the creation of Cybercrime Book Webkoof.
What Does Webkoof Mean?
The title itself is a sharp warning. Web stands for the digital net, while koof—a colloquial term for fool—reminds readers that even the most educated can be duped. Das argues that cybercrime is the most democratic of crimes, cutting across class, geography, and gender.
Real-life stories in the book underline this universality:
- Maya, a Bengaluru software engineer, tricked by a fake FedEx email into losing ₹65,000.
- Ram Prasad, a farmer in Bihar, scammed by a caller impersonating a bank officer, who drained ₹18,000 from his Jan Dhan account.
- Sundar Lal, a retired schoolteacher in Jaipur, swindled out of ₹1.5 lakh in a lottery scam.
Whether in metro cities or rural heartlands, the outcomes remain the same—money lost, trust broken, lives disrupted.
Breaking Down the Cybercrime Playbook
Each of the book’s 18 chapters explores a specific dimension of India’s cybercrime landscape:
- The Web Trap: An introduction to the digital battlefield
- Phishing, Frauds and Fake Links: Why urgent-looking messages succeed
- Romance Scams: The emotional manipulation industry
- The UPI Maze: How QR codes and fake helplines fuel fraud
- Social Media and Identity Theft: The menace of account cloning and deepfakes
- Cybercrime in Rural India: How first-time internet users are lured
- Women in the Web World: Sextortion, harassment, and stalking
- Justice Delayed: Loopholes in cyber policing and prosecution
- Digital Arrests: When fake officers exploit fear to entrap victims
Importantly, Das goes beyond narration. Each chapter provides red flags, online safety tips India, and reporting mechanisms, including the national cybercrime portal cybercrime.gov.in and helpline 1930.
Awareness Over Technology
A recurring argument in Webkoof is that cybersecurity is as much cultural as it is technical.
India, Das observes, has millions of digitally enabled but digitally unaware citizens. A farmer can make a UPI transfer but cannot tell a scam call from a genuine one. A student can attend online classes but fails to identify a fake scholarship website.
The book amplifies expert voices:
- Pradeep Mishra, educationist in Patna: “Students are comfortable online, but comfort is not safety. Cyber ethics must be taught like traffic rules.”
- Jaydev Mishra, banker at PNB: “Nine out of ten frauds could be avoided if people simply remembered that banks never ask for OTPs.”
- Aditya Ranjan, governance professional in Jharkhand: “Panchayats must make cyber safety part of public meetings, or rural growth will become rural vulnerability.”
Eminent Endorsements
The book carries forewords from distinguished officials:
- Kundan Krishnan, ADG Police Headquarters, Bihar: “An important resource for law enforcement and citizens alike.”
- Siddharth Tiwari, IRS (C and IT), CBIC: “A call to action for digital vigilance, rooted in real experiences of governance and fraud.”
- R.K. Singh, IRS (Retd.): “A rare grassroots insight into India’s cybercrime reality, from metros to villages.”
Advance praise has come from:
- Santosh Singh, Senior Assistant Editor, Indian Express, who calls the book “a handbook to out-think web terrorists.”
- Paramtosh K. Singh, Deputy General Manager, SBI, who underlined its urgency for banking customers.
Recognition Among Senior Officials
The significance of Webkoof has extended beyond literary circles into the corridors of India’s enforcement and revenue agencies. In recent weeks, Das presented the book to several senior officials, where discussions revolved around the intersection of economic offences and cyber fraud.
Recipients included:
- Shri J.K. Bubana, ADG, Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI)
- Shri Abhishek Kamal, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)
- Shri Aryendra Pal Singh, IRS, Assistant Director, DRI (Customs and Central Excise)
- Dr. Mohan Kumar Meena, Commissioner, Customs (Preventive), Bihar and Jharkhand Range
- Er. Shailendra Singh, Superintending Engineer, IGIMS, Patna
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) acknowledged that economic offences are now increasingly cyber-enabled. Officers emphasized the growing need for institutional vigilance and Bihar cyber awareness.
At Customs (Preventive), Bihar and Jharkhand, Commissioner Dr. Meena assured that the book would be promoted internally. During the visit, the waiting area of his office reportedly buzzed with discussions on Webkoof, showing its immediate relevance.
At IGIMS Patna, Er. Shailendra Singh echoed the book’s core message: cyber safety must become part of institutional culture.
Why It Matters Now
The timing of Webkoof could not be more critical. India is racing ahead with initiatives under Digital India, pushing UPI adoption and expanding online services. Yet, cybercriminals are innovating faster than official awareness campaigns.
Agencies like I4C and CERT-In issue advisories, but the missing link remains public vigilance. Das warns that without urgent interventions, India risks creating a generation of Webkoofs—citizens digitally connected but digitally unprotected.
The book calls for:
- Cyber hygiene in school curricula
- Regional language awareness campaigns
- Mandatory workplace cyber drills
- Victim-friendly, stigma-free reporting mechanisms
A Human Voice in a Technical World
Despite its technical subject, Webkoof is deeply personal. Das dedicates the book to his parents, wife Supriya, and daughter Navisha—writing that her “digital innocence” inspired him to think harder about online safety. He also pays tribute to his native Teldiha (Banka) and childhood town Tundi (Dhanbad), rooting his mission in his journey from rural Bihar to digital entrepreneurship.
Availability
- Publisher: Sahityagram Prakashan
- Price: ₹360
- ISBN: 978-93-49791-68-8
- Edition: First (2025)
- Available at: Amazon, Flipkart, Google Books, Kindle, and leading bookstores