Bhopal: Residents lose Rs 2.41 crore to cyber cheats from January to May 2023

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Cyber cheats have duped residents of Rs 2.41 crore from January to May 10, 2023. According to Bhopal district cyber crime cell, 527 complaints of cyber fraud complaints were registered during this period. The data outnumbers that of January to May 2022, in which 471 such complaints were registered.

Worse, the cyber crime officials recovered Rs 19.51 lakh of the defrauded amount, which is mere 8.07 per cent of the total amount people lost to fraudsters. The new means adopted by cyber cheats include voice scams, offering government jobs and benefits under government-led schemes, tourism-related frauds, providing government jobs and offering loans through applications.

Highlighting the reason behind lack of arrest and recovery of money in all such cases, officials cited lack of adequate clues about accused as the latter’s actual identity remains concealed.

Cyber cheats make fake websites, fake identity cards of government departments, fake job appointment letters and many other such documents, sources said.

“We need more personnel and experts in cyber wing, which faces manpower shortage,” a senior official said wishing anonymity. Assistant commissioner of police (cyber crime) Sujeet Tiwari said people should immediately contact cyber helpline, which will ensure that the amount siphoned off is frozen by the banks concerned.