Navi Mumbai Cyber Scams: The Truth Behind The Rs 200-Crore Fraud Wave

In May 2024, over 1,000 suspicious Skype accounts were blocked, highlighting the scale of rising cybercrime. Extortion tactics have grown more sophisticated, with cybercriminals impersonating law enforcement officers to threaten "digital arrests" for fabricated charges, said Nikhil Jois, cyber expert and head of growth at Bureau ID—a trust network that facilitates end-to-end identity verification, compliance, and fraud prevention for new-age businesses. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) have flagged a surge in such scams. In one case, a cyber gang extorted Rs 26.52 lakh from a Ghansoli resident in Navi Mumbai, claiming his name was linked to terrorists. The gang threatened to arrest him on sedition charges. Cybercriminals have wreaked havoc across the country, with Navi Mumbai reporting cyber frauds exceeding Rs 2 crore daily. Over 200 cases have been registered in the past year, involving losses of over Rs 200 crore, according to local officials. The Ghansoli victim, a doctor, was contacted by the gang on Aug. 26, posing as police officers. They conducted a video call, displaying a fake police setup and convinced him the case was a national security issue. The gang alleged the victim’s account was tied to terrorist Yakub Memon and drug trafficking. Under duress, the victim transferred Rs 26.52 lakh across various accounts, but later realised it was a scam and filed a complaint with the Nerul Cyber Police. The case is under investigation.