Navi Mumbai residents lost ₹440 cr to cyber fraud in 2024

Navi Mumbai residents lost ₹440 crore to cyber fraud in 2024, with 436 complaints filed. Awareness programs increased, and crime detection rates improved.

Navi Mumbai: Navi Mumbai residents lost a staggering ₹440 crore to cyber frauds in 2024. According to the annual crime statistics for 2024 released on Monday, various police stations in Navi Mumbai registered cases of cyber fraud amounting to ₹150.97 crore, of which ₹41.32 crore was frozen and ₹6.92 crore was recovered and returned to complainants. Additionally, cyber fraud cases amounting to ₹296.71 crore were registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Platform (NCCRP) portal, of which ₹27.53 crore was frozen.

Navi Mumbai residents lost ₹440 cr to cyber fraud in 2024

“Detection of cyber fraud is time-consuming. Lack of jurisdiction is another hurdle in investigation. Hence, we have been emphasising on creating awareness among residents so they don’t fall prey to fraudulent activities online,” said assistant commissioner of police Amit Kale.

Navi Mumbai police conducted 422 awareness programmes on cyber fraud through the year, said sources.

Police in Navi Mumbai registered 436 cyber crime-related complaints, among which 79 were solved, a marginal increase from the 76 cases solved in 2023. Another 13,597 complaints were registered on NCCRP, the data showed.

Overall, there was a marginal drop in criminal cases registered in 2024, though the total number of police cases increased by 10.7%. Officers attributed the hike in cases to increased enforcement.

The previous year saw a 3% rise in overall crime detection and 9% rise in conviction rate. Out of 7,369 crimes registered in 2024, police cracked 5,677 cases, a detection rate of 77%, compared to 74% in 2023. Similarly, conviction rate rose to 45% from 36% in 2023.

Police commissioner Milind Bharambe attributed the hike in conviction rate to the Nelson system for distribution of cases for investigation, scientific aids in investigation, Yatharth system for collecting evidence and recording statements, e-summons and work of the financial intelligence unit (FIU), among other factors.

Crimes against women also registered a drop, from 730 in 2023 to 626 in 2024. “Most significant here is the reduction in rape cases, from 233 in 2023 to 180 cases in 2024. Even harassment cases dropped from 212 in 2023 to 152 last year. This is a positive trend,” said Kale.

“For the second year in a row, our commissionerate has topped the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS), the union government’s project for creating a comprehensive and integrated system for effective policing. We are committed to making the city safe for residents, especially women and senior citizens who are vulnerable,” said Bharambe.