The Tamil Nadu Police has recently issued a stern warning to the public, urging them to remain vigilant as cybercrimes continue to surge. The rise in cybercrimes has led to people falling victim to scams, resulting in substantial financial losses. The officials have noted that residents of Chennaiand Coimbatore have been particularly affected. However, individuals residing in smaller cities are also increasingly being targeted.
The Greater Chennai City Police reported that between January and August 2024, a total of 1,679 cybercrime cases were registered. Out of these, 1,589 were related to financial fraud, leading to a loss of approximately Rs 189 crore in various scams. Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan has noted a sharp increase in cybercrime cases this year, with fraudsters siphoning off about Rs 93 crore. He highlighted that the number of cases reported has been steadily growing year by year. Data shows that in 2021, Rs 3 crore was lost to cybercrime in Coimbatore, which rose to Rs 13 crore in 2022 and Rs 48 crore in 2023. By November 2024, complaints totalling Rs 98 crore had been received, with approximately 50 per cent of the amount (Rs 49.25 crore) successfully frozen by authorities.
The state cybercrime unit received 6,798 complaints this year, leading to 255 FIRs, which are currently under investigation. In these cases, victims reported a combined loss of Rs 93.04 crore. So far, 41 suspects have been arrested, seven of whom have been detained under the Goondas Act. The police have warned the public to beware of various methods used by scammers, including online share trading fraud, "Digital Arrest" scams involving FedEx or TRAI impersonators, part-time job scams, matrimonial frauds, and gift or electricity bill scams. In response to the increasing incidents of financial cybercrimes, the police advised victims to register their cases on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) within 24 hours, either by calling the cybercrime helpline (1930) or visiting www.cybercrime.gov.in.
Reporting on the NCRP initiates the process of freezing the suspicious bank account involved, making it crucial for victims to act swiftly. Following a directive from the Madras High Court in July 2024, judicial officers were instructed that the recovery process for cybercrime losses can begin based on the NCRP complaint and a report from the cybercrime police, without requiring an FIR.
The police further urged the public to exercise caution when encountering high-profit investment advertisements or unknown investment apps and websites, advising people not to transfer money into unknown bank accounts. A senior doctor in Chennai recently lost Rs 2 crore to an online share trading scam. After promptly filing a complaint on the NCRP portal, he was able to recover half the amount, with the remainder expected to be retrieved after further investigation, as the scammers had converted part of the money to cryptocurrency and transferred it abroad.
