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News Topical, Digital Desk : Cyber criminals in Uttarakhand have become so brazen that they are stealing an average of ₹1.14 lakh from people's pockets every hour. In the last five years, nearly 90,000 complaints have been filed in the state, and the total amount of fraud has exceeded ₹500 crore. That's a loss of ₹2.7 lakh every day and approximately ₹100 crore annually. The surprising thing is that only ₹70 crore of this total amount has been recovered so far.
Fraud is taking place under the pretext of providing information related to the Eighth Pay Commission.
Scammers always use the bait that's most likely to work. This time, government employees are the target. Pretending to provide information about the Eighth Pay Commission, they send APK files to mobile phones. Once someone downloads them, their phone is hacked and their account emptied.
In 2025, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) cyber team conducted raids in nine states: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and West Bengal, and arrested 18 accused. These cases revealed frauds ranging from ₹1.4 million to ₹1.47 crore. The accused would threaten or lure people by posing as police officers, bank employees, or company representatives.
The real masterminds are running the game from countries like Cambodia and Hong Kong.
The problem is that those caught are often just the account holders whose accounts were used. The real masterminds operate the game from countries like Cambodia and Hong Kong. The money flows through multiple accounts abroad, making recovery virtually impossible.
Scams in the name of investment are spreading rapidly. First, a tempting message arrives. Then, you're added to a Telegram or WhatsApp group, where the other members are also scammers. Fake screenshots are shown claiming your money has doubled. Under psychological pressure, the person invests, only to never return the money.
Lakhs of rupees transferred in the name of 'digital arrest'
Scammers call and say, "A case has been filed against you, you're about to be arrested. Transfer the money now." This is a game of "digital arrest." After this, people, in panic and fear, transfer lakhs of rupees. Furthermore, fake links in the name of RTO challans, OTP fraud under the pretext of KYC updates, and fake customer care numbers on Google are finding new victims every day.
Cyber ASP Kush Mishra advises not to click on any unknown links, not to share OTPs with anyone, and to check your SEBI registration before investing. If something seems suspicious, immediately call the 1930 helpline. A timely complaint can save money by freezing your bank account.
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