Mumbai Cybercrime: Helpline 1930 Receives Over 1 Lakh Complaints in a Week; Police Save Rs 241 Crore

Cybercrime Helpline number 1930 got more than one lakh complaints this week. The officials were able to save Rs 241 crore. Helpline number 1920 is proving to be a successful weapon in the Mumbai Police’s fight against cybercrime, an official said on April 13. This helpline initially started in May 2022 with just six helplines, but as the number of cases went up, they now have 22 lines running 24x7 for people. An entire posse of constables and officials work around the clock every day to ensure citizens of the city of dreams, Mumbai, do not fall prey to online fraudsters.

Mumbai police are using a variety of cutting-edge tools and technologies to combat individuals responsible for the daily rise in financial frauds and cybercrimes, particularly in the past two years, the top officer told PTI.

The senior official said, “We also have a strong follow-up team that coordinates with all stakeholders, including banks, financial institutions, Reserve Bank of India, law enforcement agencies of various states etc to tackle cyber crime. We receive around 1500 complaints on 1930 every day. This Friday, the cumulative figure of complaints crossed one lakh.”

Cyber Wing Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade sharing the number of complaints said, “As on Saturday, the figure stands at 1,01,069. The amount saved due to timely action is Rs 241,42,11,827. Amid a rise in cyber frauds, including promising high returns on share trading, rewards for tasks, digital arrest as well as phone and email hacking, the Mumbai police has permanently blocked 8,214 mobile phone SIM cards used for such activities.”

The DCP said in these scams, even highly qualified individuals such as senior bank employees, doctors, engineers, and government officials, lose millions of rupees. They are making every attempt to educate Mumbai residents about the dangers of falling for such a tactic. Cybercrime has emerged as the largest problem of our day due to the rise in incidents.

Nalawade noted that Mumbai residents have lost Rs 1,922 crore to cybercriminals over the past three years. The bright side, he added, is that the percentage of victims' money saved is also increasing. Since January, they have saved around Rs 51 crore.

The Union Home Ministry's National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which is linked to all banks and financial institutions, is a key weapon in the fight against the threat, says another official, reported PTI. He said, “When a person loses money to a cyber fraudster, it goes into some bank account, UPI ID, or wallet, and or any other mode of deposit. Cyber criminals will then divert this money online to various channels, or make purchases or withdraw it.”

Also Read: Mumbai 1 Smart Card by SBI & MMRDA: How It Works, KYC Process & Recharge Tips

By alerting the 1930 helpline in a timely manner, police can virtually immediately follow the money trail by using this site to call banks to block and freeze accounts, among other measures, increasing the likelihood that the money will be recovered and returned to the victims, he said. Time is of the essence. Although the phrase "golden hour" is used, it becomes "golden 15 minutes" when discussing cybercrime. The official stated that the likelihood of recovering money and apprehending cybercriminals increases with the speed at which we receive alerts.Open in app