Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra, is making headlines for all the wrong reasons as it emerges as the hotspot for cyber fraud in the state. In a shocking revelation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disclosed that Pune recorded a staggering ₹6,007 crore in financial losses due to cyber fraud in 2024. This amount is spread across 1,504 cases, making it the highest among all major cities in Maharashtra.
The total cyber fraud cases registered in Maharashtra’s key cities including Pune, Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur amounted to 7,245 in 2024, with a combined loss of ₹7,132 crore. Mumbai reported 4,849 cases with a total fraud amount of ₹888 crore, while Thane and Nagpur saw losses of ₹174 crore and ₹63 crore respectively.
What is particularly concerning is that Pune’s financial losses due to cybercrime surpassed the combined total of Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur by almost five times. This has raised alarms among cybersecurity experts and law enforcement officials in the region. Analysts have noted that the fraud amount in Pune alone exceeds the annual budget of several municipal corporations in Maharashtra.
The disproportionately high cyber fraud losses in Pune can be attributed to two major cases of GST fraud, one amounting to ₹5,000 crore and the other to ₹561 crore. Excluding these cases, Pune’s total cyber fraud amount stands at ₹446 crore, which is actually lower than Mumbai’s losses.
To combat the rising threat of cyber fraud, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar emphasized the importance of freezing fraudulent bank accounts within the “golden hours” to recover stolen funds. The police force is prioritizing timely intervention to ensure that victims get their money back before fraudsters can withdraw or transfer it.
The Maharashtra government has taken steps to address the issue, with the establishment of 50 dedicated cyber police stations across the state and the creation of the ‘Centre of Excellence in Digital Forensic’ in Pune to aid in forensic investigations related to cyber frauds. Additionally, the state’s Home Department is working on a semi-automated processing system to speed up investigations and enhance the efficiency of cybercrime case analysis.
As the threat of online fraud continues to grow, authorities and experts stress the importance of public awareness, faster response times, and stricter regulatory enforcement to prevent financial losses in the future. It is clear that a concerted effort is needed to tackle cybercrime effectively and protect citizens from falling victim to fraudulent activities.
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