PANAJI
With cyber fraud cases on the rise each passing year, Goa has reported 179 cases since 2021 with a maximum of 99 cases of cheating through impersonation.
Among the impersonation cases, several cases, including instances of banks being cheated, have come to light. In two recent instances, bank managers were tricked by impersonators and the most recent one involved a person posing as the director of a nationalized company, persuading the manager to transfer Rs 16 lakh from the bank’s account in two transactions.
Speaking at a press conference to create awareness about online frauds, Cyber Crime SP Sunita Sawant stated that the highest reported case is cheating by impersonation (using computer devices) under section 66 C of the IT Act which is closely followed by cases of identity theft, with 48 instances reported. Overall, 179 cases have been registered during this period.
As fraudsters are using new tactics to cheat vulnerable targets, cyber cases against women have also surged. Sawant revealed that the number of cases rose from 38 in 2021 to 90 in 2022.
Sawant emphasized that cyberspace users are monitored for misuse, especially for crimes like child pornography. She advised against assuming that one can watch or post such content without consequences, as agencies report such information to the police, leading to actions being taken.
With regards to cases of identity theft, a 42-year-old businessman from Uttar Pradesh, Nitin Kumar, was booked after impersonating a central government official and contacting the Chief Minister on his personal number, claiming to be from the Union law ministry’s office.
Goa also made headlines when an influencer was booked for defaming the State on social media.
