Bhopal: 3,670 residents lose Rs 17.14 crore to cyber fraudsters in 1 year

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In all, 3,670 residents of Bhopal lost Rs 17.14 crore to cyber fraudsters in 2022, as per figures provided by cyber-crime branch. The cyber-crime branch officials have attributed the rise in the amount lost to cyber criminals to laxity of complainants who took too much time to complain after fraud was committed. This made it difficult to trace the accused. The officials added that fraudsters change their modus operandi from time to time, which does not let people realise that they are being defrauded. The officials are hopeful of pulling the plug on cyber-crimes, as a cyber forensic laboratory was inaugurated on Friday.

Before it, laboratory was available at state cyber-crime cell, which was accessible to few officials. The laboratory will help police to analyse mobile forensic and disc forensic data. A cyber-crime branch official told Free Press that cyber frauds through UPI increased this month. To raise awareness, advisories are issued by Bhopal cyber-crime branch. Box-1: It will help: ACP Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Shailendra Singh Chouhan said that with setting up of cyber forensic lab in the district, officials will be able to retrieve data deleted from mobile phones and other electronic devices, trace rapidly changing locations of cyber fraudsters.