Cybercrime continues to surge, with new incidents making headlines daily. Recently, reports emerged claiming that Sagar Karande, renowned for his role in Chala Hawa Yeu Dya, had fallen victim to an online scam. The reports suggested that Karande was defrauded of ₹61.83 lakh through a scheme promising ₹150 for every Instagram post he liked. However, Karande has strongly denied these allegations. In an interview with Zee 24 Taas, he stated, "This is fake news. How could I have ₹61 lakh? I wouldn’t have done such things—I’d rather produce a play. Once I’m in Mumbai, I’ll investigate the matter thoroughly and file a defamation case as well." The false report has caused unnecessary distress to the actor. According to the details of the scam, a WhatsApp message was sent to someone named Sagar Karande in February, offering easy money for liking Instagram posts. Tempted by the offer, the victim invested ₹27 lakh, assured that the money wouldn’t be used elsewhere. Initially, the victim earned ₹11,000 after completing a small task. However, when he attempted to withdraw the money, he was informed that he needed to complete 100% of the tasks and pay an additional ₹19 lakh along with a 30% tax. The scammers continued to demand more money under various pretexts, claiming it was needed to correct transaction errors. Realizing he had been deceived after losing such a large sum, the victim approached the police to file a formal complaint.
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Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cybercrime cases in the past year, with 2.41 lakh complaints registered by October 2024. Mumbai, Thane, and Pune have recorded the highest number of cases. From January to October 2024, cyber frauds amounting to ₹811 crore were reported, but authorities were only able to recover ₹27 crore. Since 2016, a total fraud of ₹3,216 crore has been reported, with only ₹61 crore recovered.This alarming data was revealed through an RTI inquiry filed by activist Jitendra Ghadge. The Maharashtra government launched the MahaCyber Portal in 2016, and the number of cases has risen significantly from 2,085 in 2016 to 6,450 by October 2024, marking a threefold increase in cybercrimes over eight years. In 2024 alone, Mumbai recorded 54,836 cases, while Pune and Thane reported 26,332 and 23,148 cases, respectively. Other cities like Navi Mumbai (14,111 cases), Nagpur (13,442 cases), and Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar (13,229 cases) have also seen a rise in cybercrime incidents.
Despite the surge in cyber fraud cases, the conviction rate remains disappointingly low. In 2024, cyber police solved less than 10% of cyber fraud cases. Out of 597 cases cracked, only 667 arrests were made. Historical data since 2016 shows that the state recorded 2,085 cyber fraud cases involving ₹999 crore that year, the highest fraud amount recorded so far. Despite solving 50% of those cases, only ₹2 crore was recovered. From 2017 onwards, the resolution rate of cyber complaints has remained between 15-20%.The number of cybercrime complaints has escalated dramatically over the years, with 38,652 cases registered in 2020. This number rose to 1,69,343 in 2023 and further surged to 2,41,405 in 2024, as revealed in the RTI findings.