The cases of cybercrime have been on the increase in Gujarat this year, and the state has already recorded a case of more than 1.42 lakh fraudulent phone calls and 678 crore of money lost to online fraud in only nine months. The statistics given by the authorities indicate that almost 72,000 individuals have become victims of one or the other type of cyber fraud, which is one of the most troubling financial crime tendencies in the state in recent years.
The numbers, published by the state cybercrime agencies, indicate an alarming trend of internet fraud using fraudulent investment plans, OTP schemes, business impersonation, and unscrupulous loan applications. The high population in major cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Gandhinagar has accounted for almost half of the reported incidents.
According to the officials, the majority of cybercriminals make phone calls, send WhatsApp messages, or make video calls to attract unsuspecting citizens. In most instances, fraudsters have impersonated law enforcement officers or bank officials and persuaded the victims to provide confidential information or send money in the name of untrue reasons. There were fraudsters who were offering false employment opportunities, and others were offering scam investment services with high returns.
An example was the case of a retired government worker who lost ₹55 lakh in a crypto investment scam in Ahmedabad. In a different case, a 62-year-old man lost 66 lakh of his money after being informed that his Aadhaar card was involved in a money-laundering operation. These are some of the ways in which scammers can use the element of fear and trust to carry out massive amounts of cons.
Analysts attribute the escalating numbers to the penetration of more people into the digital world and low cyber awareness among citizens. The fast pace of online banking and mobile transactions herein has also made Gujarat an easy target among other cybercriminal networks located in India and beyond.
The Gujarat Police has gone on a rampage to trace and eliminate such rackets. Advanced tools are being provided to special cybercrime units to track the digital footprints and freeze the fraudulent transactions. The government is also encouraging people to report their suspicious activity by calling the National Cybercrime Helpline 1930.
Officials of the police stress that stolen money can be retrieved in certain cases by their timely reporting. The first defense is awareness. A high-level cyber officer advised people not to give OTPs or personal information via calls or messages.
On the one hand, the loss rate demonstrates that cybercrime is a significant threat to online security, despite the awareness campaign. It is projected that in the next few months, the government will intensify cybersecurity systems and initiate new programs to reduce internet fraud.
