Over 1.07 Crore Investors Duped Of ₹3.18 Lakh Crore In Maharashtra Over 10 Years

Mumbai: In a shocking revelation, over 1.07 crore investors across Maharashtra have been defrauded of a staggering ₹ 3.18 lakh crore through various phony schemes in the last 10 years.

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The alarming figures were disclosed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a written reply to the state legislative council on Wednesday. They expose the widespread reach of cybercrime and financial fraud in the state. According to the data, Mumbai alone accounted for ₹2.95 lakh crore of the total loss, affecting 2.71 lakh investors. The rest of the state saw 1.05 crore individuals being duped of ₹ 22,552 crore.

The question, raised by Congress MLC Satej Patil along with 14 other members, could not be discussed due to time constraints. However, the written reply from the state home department painted a grim picture of organized financial crime operating across Maharashtra. Between 2016 and 2025, cyber police registered 46,321 cybercrime cases involving a total of ₹ 11,033.97 crore.

In 2024 alone, 58,157 cybercrime complaints were lodged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, with losses amounting to ₹ 1,186 crore. Of these, Mumbai reported 31,583 cases, followed by Pune with 13,971 and Thane with 12,582. Currently, Maharashtra has 50 police stations dedicated exclusively to handling cybercrime cases.

The state government has also established Financial Intelligence Units under each police commissionerate and district police chief to strengthen its response to financial fraud. The government informed the Upper House that advanced technologies are being deployed in an effort to curb the rising tide of cyber and financial crimes.