Navi Mumbai man loses Rs 28 lakh in cyber fraud

A 30yearold resident from Navi Mumbai fell victim to a cyber scam losing nearly Rs 28 lakh after being enticed into gold trading promising lucrative returns police told PTI on FridayAccording to the report the resident of Nerul filed a complaint claiming that people had gotten in touch with him and promised him big returns if he traded gold on their website Between October and November of this year he gave over Rs 2835 lakh after giving in to their pressureDisappointed that he had not received any returns or received his invested money back the man went to the cyber police in Navi Mumbai on Thursday to ask for help No arrests have been made despite a case being filed against the owners of three mobile numbers and a website host an official confirmedThe data from the National Crime Records Bureau NCRB reveals a concerning increase in cybercrime incidents across Mumbai and Maharashtra which contrasts sharply with the general decline in Indian Penal Code IPC cases nationwide in 2022 stated a reportAccording to the report Mumbaithe financial capital saw a staggering 645 per cent increase in cybercrime cases rising from 2883 in 2021 to 4724 in 2022 Maharashtra as a whole saw an alarming increase in cybercrime rising from 5562 to 8249 cases during the same period The majority of these cases 648 per cent were attributed to fraud with other motives including extortion 55 per cent and sexual exploitation 52 per centThe report shows a broader trend across 19 metropolitan cities with a 427 per cent increase in cybercrime cases in 2022 totalling 24420 cases compared to 17115 cases the previous year Bengaluru had the most cybercrime incidents 9940 followed by Mumbai with 4724 cases Chargesheet rates differed by city with Bengaluru at 226 per cent Mumbai at 166 per cent Hyderabad at 25437 and New Delhi at 893 per centOut of the 5610 cases registered in Maharashtra in 2022 cases involving offences against the state increased by 86 per cent with a majority 785 per cent under The Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 4403 cases and 179 per cent under The Unlawful Activities Prevention ActSurprisingly despite the rise in cybercrime the national crime scene saw a decrease in IPC and Special and Local Laws SLL crimes In 2022 the total number of cognizable crimes decreased by 45 per cent with IPC crimes decreasing by 28 per cent and SLL crimes decreasing by 70 per cent compared to the previous year As a result the crime rate per lakh population fell from 4459 to 4222Despite this national trend the 19 metropolitan cities reported a 104 per cent decrease in registered crimes in 2022 In Mumbai IPC crimes decreased by 17 per cent while SLL crimes decreased by 274 per cent when compared to 2021 Theft remained the most common IPC crime category accounting for 446 per cent of all cases followed by reckless driving on public roads 105 per cent and disobeying orders issued by public servants 70 per cent