With 15 high-value frauds, November tops Prayagraj’s cybercrime chart

Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) (cyber crime) Rajkumar Meena said low public awareness remains a key concern. He said fraudsters target people with attractive offers and misuse their trust. He urged citizens to stay cautious of unknown callers and avoid clicking unsafe links.

Cybercrime cases in the Sangam city have surged, with November turning into the most troubling month of the year. Official data shows that 15 cyber fraud cases involving sums above ₹5 lakh were registered in just 12 days, taking the reported loss to nearly ₹2.40 crore.

Representational image (Sourced)

Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) (cyber crime) Rajkumar Meena said low public awareness remains a key concern. He said fraudsters target people with attractive offers and misuse their trust. He urged citizens to stay cautious of unknown callers and avoid clicking unsafe links.

Two incidents involved alleged “digital arrest,” where victims were pressured into believing they were under virtual custody. In one case, a retired PWD superintendent engineer was allegedly kept in digital detention for 10 days and lost ₹22.50 lakh, marking the first such prolonged incident in the region. Another retired bank employee and his wife were allegedly defrauded of ₹12.20 lakh. This year, four such incidents have been reported, including two in November.

The biggest fraud this month stood at ₹60 lakh, while the smallest among the 15 cases was ₹6.07 lakh. November has now surpassed September’s tally of 14 cases, making it the highest for 2025. March was the only month without any fraud above ₹5 lakh.

So far this year, 72 cyber fraud cases involving amounts above ₹5 lakh have been filed at the city’s Cyber Police Station, while smaller cases are handled by local stations or the cyber cell.