Lokmat News Network
Raj Patil
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Diwali may be over, but cybercriminals are still feasting. Two months of online scams have fattened their pockets, and now they’re eagerly counting down to Christmas and New Year for their next big loot.
City known for innovation and automation, has seen a sharp rise in cyber fraud over the past two months, with multiple cases registered at the city’s cyber police station. As earlier warned by Lokmat Times, criminals exploited the festival season as a favourable period for online scams. During Dussehra and Diwali, cybercrime cases surged nearly 1.5 times, and overall incidents in the last two months have doubled. Police have successfully recovered the full amount in some cases, offering relief to victims. However, sources caution that cybercriminals are likely to return with new tactics during the New Year, particularly through fake greeting messages and links. Assistant police inspector Kadir Deshmukh noted a significant rise in WhatsApp hacking cases and urged citizens to activate two-factor authentication, warning that many users still ignore this basic security measure.
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Fake ‘Sharma’ Scam alert
City police warn of calls from a person posing as “Sharma,” pushing links for basic services. Clicking the link can lead to instant registration and rapid bank account siphoning.
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Police push AI upgrade
Police sources say AI integration will strengthen cyber surveillance and speed up detection. Officers are adopting advanced tools to improve monitoring, prevention, and response to cyber offences.
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Complaints received at City Cyber Police Station (Social media–related)
• 2024: 1,568 complaints
• 2025 (till date): 854 complaints
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Cyber fraud on NCCRP portal
• Total cyber fraud loss reported this year: Rs 28.84 crore
• Amount on hold: Rs 6.5 crore
• Amount recovered so far: over Rs 1.6 crore (big recovery underway)
• Loss till September: Rs 18.18 crore
• Loss in October–November: Rs 11.66 crore
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Fake RTO challan, WhatsApp scam alert
Currently, fake RTO challan websites and WhatsApp scam messages are rising. WhatsApp account hacks are also increasing. Citizens should avoid clicking suspicious links.
- PI Somnath Jadhav, City Cyber Police Station
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City cyber fraud trends
• Fake Telegram offer links
• WhatsApp hacks via OTP links
• Impersonation calls to extract details
• Phishing links in festival/New Year greetings
• Fake customer care numbers to steal money