SHYAM ZAMBAULIKER
For many cyber fraud vic tims in South Goa, particularly wom en, the emotional damage has proved far greater than the financial loss. While money lost in online scams can sometimes be recovered, the confidence, trust and peace of mind stolen by fraudsters are often much harder to reclaim. “I felt ashamed,” said a woman, speaking on condition of anonymi ty, who fell victim to an online scam. “The shame was worse than the money I lost. As a counsellor, I have trained several students to be cau tious, yet I was fooled.” Her experience is one among a growing number of cybercrime cas es reported across South Goa, where fraudsters are increasingly imper sonating police officers, government officials, loan agents, bank represent atives and even prospective life part ners. A retired professional recalled re ceiving threatening calls from indi viduals claiming to be police officers from Delhi. “For two days they kept calling me, saying an offence would be registered against me if I did not cooperate,” he said. “They tried to scare me into pay ing money, but I refused. After four days, the calls stopped.” Others were not as fortunate. A woman with three decades of ex perience in private banking admitted that even her professional expertise could not shield her from a sophisti cated scam. “They knew my name, my Aadhaar details and other personal informa tion,” she said. “They kept me on the phone for nearly two hours, promis ing attractive returns on an invest ment. I eventually lost money.” A clerk employed with a private firm recounted a similar ordeal. “I always advised my friends to stay alert against cyber fraud,” he said. “But when I received a message and was threatened with arrest, I panicked.
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The moment I clicked on the link they sent, Rs 3,000 vanished from my account.” After commenting on a social me dia post featuring a semi-nude wom an, he began receiving messages ac cusing him of molestation. “They said a police complaint had been filed against me,” he said. “The caller demanded money to make the case disappear.” For a week, the calls continued. “I was scared about what my family would think if someone believed the allegations,” he said. “That fear is ex actly what the scammers wanted.” According to police sources, sev eral women from Salcete have been targeted over the past two months by fraudsters impersonating offi cials from various departments. Us ing spoofed or unknown numbers, the callers allegedly create panic by claiming that victims or their fam ily members are involved in legal troubles before demanding money through UPI or bank transfers to “set tle” the matter. A retired police officer familiar with cybercrime investigations said such cases require detailed analysis of call records, bank accounts, IP ad dresses and digital communications. Cyber Cell experts use forensic tools to trace spoofed numbers, identify mule accounts and track criminal networks. Cases are generally reg istered under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police officials stressed that time ly reporting remains crucial, as the chances of freezing fraudulent trans actions and recovering money are significantly higher when complaints are lodged immediately after the fraud is detected. Recent cases highlight the growing variety of cyber scams affecting resi dents across South Goa.
A resident of Nuvem lost Rs 1.85 lakh after searching online for a bank’s customer care number. A fraudster posing as a bank employee allegedly convinced him to download an application, enabling criminals to gain access to his account and siphon off funds. In another case, a resident of Tari mol, Sanguem, was cheated of Rs 1.51 lakh after paying for a fake Anda man tour package promoted through WhatsApp. The alleged travel agent stopped responding shortly before the scheduled departure date. Online loan scams have also claimed victims. A woman from Xeldem, Quepem, lost Rs 1.12 lakh after being promised a Rs 2 lakh loan by a man identifying himself as “Saur ab Khan”. She was persuaded to make multiple payments towards process ing fees, insurance charges and taxes, but the loan never materialised. Similarly, a Fatorda resident lost Rs 2 lakh after responding to an offer for a personal loan purportedly from a reputed bank. Police said the victim transferred money through several transactions before realising it was a scam. Another woman from Raia report edly lost Rs 1.51 lakh after applying for loans through online platforms that appeared legitimate. Investiga tors suspect the fraudsters gained unauthorised access to her bank ac count through the applications. Romance scams have also surfaced in the region. A woman from Quepem allegedly lost Rs 1.45 lakh after de veloping an online relationship with a man she met through a matrimo nial website. The accused reported ly convinced her to transfer money after claiming he had been detained at an airport and urgently needed fi nancial assistance.
As cybercriminals continue to ex ploit trust, fear and emotional vul nerability, police have urged citizens to verify customer care numbers, avoid downloading unknown appli cations, exercise caution when seek ing online loans and never transfer money to strangers without proper verification. Multiple investigations are cur rently underway, with authorities warning that awareness remains the strongest defence against cyber crime.
