After falling victim to cyber cheating, a woman contacted the helpline number 1930 of the Mumbai Crime Branch seeking assistance, leading to the preservation of Rs 3.80 crore. Cyber fraudsters had deceived the woman of a total of Rs 4.56 crore. A police officer emphasised that filing a cyber fraud complaint promptly allows the police more time to safeguard the victim's money.
How the fraudsters deceived the woman
DCP DS Swamy of the Cyber Cell at the Mumbai Crime Branch stated that the woman was browsing Instagram when she received an advertisement promoting investment in the stock market, accompanied by a link. The link described the potential for increased profits through stock market investments.
Initially, the woman invested approximately Rs 4.56 crore, and she could observe profits on her invested capital. However, when she attempted to withdraw the money, she discovered that she had fallen victim to cyber fraud.
Defrauded money transferred to several bank accounts
The complainant had invested money from January 4 to January 6, realising the fraud on January 7. After reporting the incident to helpline number 1930, the Cyber Cell initiated an investigation. During the inquiry, the police discovered that the defrauded money had been transferred to various accounts across different banks. Approximately Rs 70 to 80 lakh had already been withdrawn from the woman's funds.
DCP cyber crime D Swamy briefs media on Monday, January 8, 2023, about a woman defrauded of Rs 4.56 crore. | Salman Ansari
DCP Swamy mentioned that all the banks involved were contacted, and the bank accounts were subsequently frozen. Consequently, the Cyber Cell successfully saved about Rs 3.80 crore for the woman.
While investing, the woman's account was created on an app where details of her investments and profits were visible, fostering trust in the cyber fraudsters.
DCP urges victims to file complaint promptly
DCP Swamy highlighted the existence of helpline number 1930 for reporting cyber fraud cases, urging victims to inform the police immediately. The police emphasised that timely reporting increases the likelihood of recovering the money.
Senior police officers revealed that the Cyber Police receive 1100 calls daily, with a success rate of approximately 95 per cent. They emphasised that prompt reporting is crucial for swift action against cyber fraud.
A police official disclosed that in the year 2023, the Cyber Cell received 1.09 lakh calls.
