10 fall prey to cyber fraud daily in Goa, Rs 25cr lost in 3 months of 2026

Panaji: At least 10 Goans become victims of cyber fraud every day, on an average, and lose money online. In the first quarter of 2026 itself, as many as 1,030 Goans were allegedly cheated by cyber fraudsters of Rs 25 crore, with 34 FIRs being registered during this period. The remaining complaints were forwarded to the police stations concerned.

Fraudsters posed as bank officials, brokers, airline staff, online booking agents, and traders. They gained the trust of victims and then cheated them.

Police said many scams begin with fake advertisements on social media platforms. According to them, when victims try to buy products through these advertisements, they are redirected to WhatsApp, where fraudsters send QR codes for payment. After the payment is made, the item is never delivered, and the victim belatedly realises it was a scam.

Some victims also reported threats from fraudsters who warned they would post objectionable photos of them or their family members on social media platforms if the money demanded was not paid.

In a job scam, a fraudster posing as airline staff offered a victim a ground staff post at the Dabolim airport. After gaining his trust, the fraudster asked for money to process the ‘application’. The victim paid through UPI, but no job was given.

In another case, a victim who needed a loan searched online for a bank customer care number, and unwittingly called a fraudster who posed as a bank representative. After following the fraudster’s instructions, money was deducted from the victim’s account.

Yet another loan scam saw a victim click on an advertisement on a social media platform, following which he received a call from a person claiming to represent a financial institution. The victim shared documents and paid a processing fee through UPI, but later found out it was a scam.

Cybercrime cases in Goa rose by 65% in 2025 compared to 2024. In response, Goa police decided to register FIRs in all cybercrime cases involving more than Rs 1 lakh.

Police said many cyber fraudsters operate from abroad, making arrests difficult. Police also blocked 442 web links, 168 social media accounts and 866 mobile numbers. A total of 103 cybercrime cases had been pending investigation for more than six months.
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