207% increase in cybercrime in Mumbai, more cops to tackle cases

According to the Mumbai police, 418 cases have been registered till October, a 207% rise compared with the 136 cases registered in the first 10 months last year.

For Zayda Shaikh, 42, from Bhandup, there seems to be no end to her worries. Grappling with her daughter’s kidney ailment, Shaikh sold her dead husband’s taxi permit for Rs 1.3 lakh and deposited the money in a nationalized bank.

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Recently, she received a call from a man, who posed as a bank executive, got her account details for “verification” and withdrew the entire amount. Shaikh is just one of the many vulnerable people who have been targeted by cyber criminals in Mumbai.

According to the Mumbai police, 418 cases have been registered till October, a 207% rise compared with the 136 cases registered in the first 10 months last year.

Dhananjay Kulkarni, deputy commissioner of police (detection) and Mumbai police spokesperson, said, “We are stressing on capacity building. A considerable number of officers from the 93 police stations in the city are being trained to investigate the cases better.”

While the rise could be attributed to the increased use of netbanking facility on smartphones, unlike in the past, people have now become more open to registering an FIR, if they are cheated. “There is a considerable change in their approach, which is why the figures have gone up,” said the official.

The area between Bandra and Andheri, which falls under zone 9, topped the list with the maximum number of cases, 124. “The rise cannot be denied. There is a need to spread awareness to ensure people are not cheated,” said a senior police officer.

“Only sending a text message or e-mails to customers asking them not to share the details cannot prevent cybercrimes,” said the officer.

Apart from the numbers, poor detection, too, is a cause for concern. The Mumbai police have, so far, managed to arrest only 142 people in the 418 cases registered this year.

Suburbs most vulnerable

At least 124 cases were recorded between Bandra and Andheri till October this year, the highest in Mumbai:

2014 (Cases)

2013 (Cases)

Credit/debit card frauds

103

27

Obscene emails/SMSes/MMSes

104

28

Hacking

33

6

Phishing/Nigerian frauds

3

3

Others

175

72

(Figures till October. Source Mumbai Police)