India Sees A Widespread Investment Scams Across Major Metro Cities
So interestingly according to a report, over the past five-six months, more than 30,000 people across India’s major metro cities have fallen into the trap of investment scams, resulting in losing over Rs 1,500 crore. These are official available data according to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ cyber wing.
These scams have spread liek a mould, It ahs a simple funda and that is targeting people who are simply looking to grow their savings, but these people end up losing everything instead.
Now what is concerning is that most of the fallen victims are working professionals between 30 and 60 years old, these are the people in their peak earning life period.
Cities like Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad have become the biggest hunting grounds, together accounting for nearly 65% of all cases.
According to experts scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics and stratergy, often traping victims through fake investment offers, quick-profit schemes, and social media promotions. The scale of these frauds highlights how cybercriminals are exploiting financial ambitions, turning dreams of wealth into devastating losses.
Bengaluru Suffers The Greatest Financial Damage
Bengaluru, Indias tech hub, is now earning a new tag, the scam capital.
According to the I4C report, the city has taken the biggest financial hit, with over 26 percent of the countrys total losses coming from here.
That means more than a quarter of all the money lost to investment fraud disappeared in Bengaluru alone. From fake trading apps to flashy get-rich-quick groups, scammers are preying on the citys ambitious professionals. Once celebrated for its booming startups, Bengaluru is now battling a wave of cyber start-downs, where hopeful investments crash before they even begin.
The fact that the city has most number of tech savy people, but the scammers are so advanced that even techies fall in traps.
Working-Age Individuals Most Affected
- The majority of scam victims belong to the working-age population (30–60 years).
- Over 76% of all targeted individuals fall in this age group.
- Scammers are exploiting the financial ambitions of people in their prime earning years.
- Senior citizens are also at risk, making up 8.62% of victims, around 2,829 people aged above 60.
High Average Losses Per Victim
- These scams involve large financial losses, not minor incidents.
- The average loss per victim is around Rs 51.38 lakh.
- The scams are highly sophisticated, posing a major threat to personal finances.
- Delhi reports the highest per capita losses, with victims losing an average of Rs 8 lakh each.
How Cybercriminals Are Reaching Their Victims
- Messaging apps lead the pack: Platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp account for around 20% of all reported scam cases.
- Why scammers love them: Their encrypted chats and easy group creation make these apps ideal for running large-scale frauds.
- Professional networks play a tiny role: Platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter are used in only 0.31% of incidents.
- Preference for informal spaces: Scammers rely more on direct and personal messaging channels than on formal networks.
- Unidentified platforms dominate: A massive 41.87% of cases fall under the “Other” category, meaning many scams happen on untracked or lesser-known platforms that remain unidentified.
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Aishwarya is a journalism graduate with over three years of experience thriving in the buzzing corporate media world. She’s got a knack for decoding business news, tracking the twists and turns of the stock market, covering the masala of the entertainment world, and sometimes her stories come with just the right sprinkle of political commentary. She has worked with several organizations, interned at ZEE and gained professional skills at TV9 and News24, And now is learning and writing at NewsX, she’s no stranger to the newsroom hustle. Her storytelling style is fast-paced, creative, and perfectly tailored to connect with both the platform and its audience. Moto: Approaching every story from the reader’s point of view, backing up her insights with solid facts.
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