Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a shocking revelation, it has come forward that a total of Rs 106 crore has been swindled off by cyber dupers so far in 2025. The lure of quick money is getting dangerous, as, on average, 60 cybercrime instances happen every day just within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC).
From 1st January 2025 to 31st August, Pimpri-Chinchwad residents were duped of Rs 106.71 crore. The cybercrime portal has received thousands of complaints this year. However, police claim that they have been successful in recovering some of the swindled amount.
Huge Returns Promised, Millions Duped
A very common type of cybercrime, which has been in trend for years, is that cybercriminals offer huge returns on investments to unsuspecting victims, and people lose their hard-earned money. This particularly happens in stock market scams. What many people don't know is that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulates the stock market and the institutions that act as intermediaries for investments.
Cybercriminals take advantage of this lack of knowledge, posing as financial institutions and enticing people to invest. They create fake digital records to show victims that their investments are yielding significant returns. They may even create their own applications for this purpose. Seeing these fabricated profits, people often increase their investments.
Sometimes cybercriminals initially give returns as promised, increasing the trust of victims. However, when they try to withdraw the money afterwards, the criminals demand additional funds under various pretexts, trapping the victims further. This type of fraud is currently one of the most prevalent cybercrimes. Other common scams involve sending malicious links to gain control of a person's mobile phone, SIM swap scams, fake mobile banking apps, pretending to be an official person and demanding OTPs, posing as customs officials and saying narcotics are going in your name abroad to create fear, and many others.
Rs 1 Crore Lost Per Day in 2024!
In 2024, over Rs 365 crore were duped by cybercriminals from the people of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Capturing these criminals was a major challenge for the police. However, after the establishment of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Cyber Police Station, under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Ravikiran Nale and Assistant Police Inspector Pravin Swami, major cybercrime rackets were dismantled.
This led to arrests across India, putting a significant dent in these operations. As a result, the amount lost to fraud has decreased compared to last year. Last year only Rs 3.67 crore were managed to be recovered, showing that there was only a 1% chance of recovery. However, since the start of the cyber police station, the recovery has increased too.
Report Early, Avoid Big Loss
Officials from the cyber police station say that the earlier the victims report, the higher the chances of recovering the money. Many cyber fraudsters use what police call 'Mule Accounts'. These are used by criminals to collect money fraudulently and then transfer it further to their own accounts, which are most of the time foreign-based, limiting Indian law enforcement's extradition efforts.
The mule accounts fraudsters use many times belong to normal residents, who let them use these, as the accounts are out of use, and cybercriminals give them some money for this usage. Police said that one should report the cybercrime within the 'Golden Hour' (the first hour after the fraud). This allows police to immediately freeze the account where the duped money was transferred, preventing cyber fraudsters from moving the money forward or converting it to cryptocurrency, which they often do.
A police official said, "Don’t share OTPs, bank, and personal details with anyone on call you don’t know. Don’t fall for intimidation through phone calls. If you feel anything is off or suspicious, contact us or report the matter on 1930 (Cyber Helpline) or cybercrime.gov.in."
Most Fraud Cases From 'Elite' Areas
A large number of well-educated people are falling victim to cybercriminals. The number of cyber fraud cases is particularly high in the Hinjawadi, Sangvi, and Wakad areas, where the city's 'IT' population resides.
Due to being an IT hub, people from across the country have shifted here, but despite being educated and 'tech-savvy', they fail to recognise financial frauds and fall victim to them. This year, around 1,300 complaints each have been received from the jurisdiction of Wakad and Hinjawadi Police Stations, 900 from Sangvi, and 600 from Chakan Police Station. Out of these, only two to four cases have been registered.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Shivaji Pawar, who is in charge of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police's Crime Branch, said that residents should be vigilant about cyber fraud. “Cybercriminals are using different methods of fraud every day. Do not share personal information or bank account details with strangers. If you have any doubts, immediately file a complaint with the cyber police,” he said.
