The West Region Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Police has arrested a 35-year-old man from Raigad for allegedly impersonating a government cyber helpline official and duping several cyber fraud victims by promising to help them recover their lost money.
The accused, identified as Anil Madhukar Darekar, was apprehended from Panvel in the Raigad district following a detailed technical investigation. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber), Purushottam Karad, Darekar posed as an official from the government’s Cyber Helpline numbers ‘1930’ and ‘14C’ to gain the trust of victims.
Police said Darekar contacted people from different mobile numbers, claiming to be an officer working with India’s Cyber Legal and Technical team. He lured cybercrime victims by promising to retrieve their lost money and demanded small sums ranging from ₹5 to ₹10 as service charges. To gain credibility, he would share a fake government identity card via WhatsApp, allegedly from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
After receiving multiple complaints, the cyber cell launched an inquiry and traced his location. Upon arrest, police seized a mobile phone, debit card, and the forged ID card bearing the emblem of the Government of India.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Darekar had accessed information related to registered cybercrime cases and directly contacted victims. He claimed to be an official from '14C' and pretended to communicate through the ‘1930’ helpline. He would then demand money citing reasons such as court procedures and legal fees.
So far, he is believed to have defrauded people of approximately ₹1 lakh across Maharashtra. Further investigation into the extent of his operations and possible accomplices is currently underway.
Authorities have cautioned citizens to remain vigilant and not fall prey to such impersonators. Victims of cyber fraud are urged to report cases only through official government channels.