According to data from the Gujarat CID Cyber Cell, between January and September 2025, cybercriminals targeted over 1.42 lakh people across the state. Out of these, 72,091 victims lost a total of ₹678 crore. The remaining victims managed to save their money after alerting the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930) in time, which helped authorities freeze suspicious transactions.
Officials said the scale of losses shows how deeply cybercrime has spread in the state.
Ahmedabad Tops the List of Cases
Ahmedabad City recorded the highest number of cybercrime calls with 28,382, followed by Surat City (20,102) and Vadodara City (10,433). Even smaller regions were affected — Surat Rural (3,320) and Rajkot Rural (2,407) received thousands of complaints.
Despite coordination between Gujarat’s CID Cyber Cell, district cyber units, and police from other states, officials say fraudsters continue to evolve and use new tricks.
Scammers Use Fear and Deception
Police said that most scams rely on social engineering — convincing victims through fear or false promises. In one case, a retired government employee in Ahmedabad was cheated in a WhatsApp cryptocurrency scam. A female doctor in Gandhinagar was “digitally arrested” for three months and lost ₹55 lakh after being lured with fake investment promises.
Other victims include a 62-year-old man who lost ₹66 lakh after clicking a fake link, a 46-year-old man who was told his Aadhaar card was misused in Mumbai and lost ₹57 lakh, and a farmer from Dahegam who was duped of ₹45 lakh after being told he was under CBI investigation.
Crimes Spreading Beyond Cities
Officials warned that cyber scams are no longer limited to urban areas. Smaller towns and villages are now reporting cases regularly. Many victims are educated but still fall prey because they trust unknown callers or messages, or lack awareness of online verification systems.
Retired people and those facing financial pressure are particularly at risk. Fraudsters often pose as police officers or government officials, staging fake “digital arrests” and forcing victims to transfer money under pressure.
Reporting Delays Aid Scammers
Police said that many victims delay reporting crimes out of fear or embarrassment, giving scammers time to move stolen funds.
Sharp Rise from Last Year
In 2024, Gujarat registered 1.31 lakh cybercrime complaints, with police recovering ₹108 crore and freezing ₹285 crore in fraudulent transactions. But in just the first nine months of 2025, cases and losses have already surged past last year’s total, showing how cybercrime continues to grow despite efforts to curb it.
Authorities have urged citizens to stay alert, verify unknown calls and links, and report any suspicious activity immediately to 1930 or the National Cybercrime Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).
Tags:
Cybercrime
