BIG Exclusive Meghalaya News 24
Script published here are subject to copyright
In the past two years, more than 700 people across Garo Hills, including Shillong, have fallen prey to a massive Ponzi scheme. Police have identified the scam as an interstate and transnational operation, with evidence suggesting that some of the accounts involved are being operated from Hong Kong.
The scam enticed victims to invest substantial sums of money with promises of high and quick returns. However, the funds vanished, leaving a cold trail. After questioning the arrested suspects and analyzing seized mobile phones, police uncovered connections not only within India but also overseas.
Superintendent of Police (Sadar) Pankaj Kumar Rasgania, who also leads the cyber wing of the Meghalaya Police while talking exclusively to Meghalaya News 24, confirmed that over eight cases related to the scam have been registered, spread across Garo and Khasi Hills. He highlighted that residents have invested amounts ranging from thousands to lakhs, with the total fraud exceeding one crore rupees.
“Around 700 people from Meghalaya have invested in these applications,” Rasgania shared. “Some have invested lakhs, others thousands, and we estimate the total fraud to be over one crore rupees.”
He added, “We have interrogated the arrested individuals and seized their mobile phones, which provided significant evidence on their modus operandi. This is a transnational scam, with links in other states and even outside India. We have also identified accounts operated from Hong Kong. Our investigation continues, and we will share further leads as they develop.”
Rasgania also alerted the public to another scam involving an app known as the “TAAI group.” This fraudulent app uses the names and photos of prominent business figures to gain trust. By impersonating legitimate business owners and directors, scammers lure individuals into investing in this fake scheme.
Cybercrime has surged dramatically in Meghalaya over the past few years. In 2022, the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) received 1,069 calls from the state. By 2024, the number has skyrocketed to 8,414—an eightfold increase in just two years. Similarly, complaints filed on the national cybercrime reporting portal (cybercrime.gov.in) have increased from just nine in 2019 to 1,022 in 2024.
“To give you an idea of the scale of cybercrimes in Meghalaya, our dedicated helpline received 1,069 calls in 2022. By 2024, we’ve already received 8,414 calls. The rise is exponential,” Rasgania remarked.
Thanks to the prompt action by Meghalaya Police via the cybercrime reporting portal, Rs 2.42 crore has been blocked from being lost to cyber fraud.
The SP Cyber also revealed details of another major investment scam: the “Data Meer” or “Data Meer AAI” scheme operated by the “DAAI Group.” A prime suspect from Meghalaya discovered a social media link promising high returns through cryptography-based investments. Lured by promises of 30-40% returns, the suspect and his wife invested in the app and promoted it to others via WhatsApp groups and offline meetings. However, after two to three months, the app stopped allowing withdrawals, and the scheme was revealed as a fraud.
“We have arrested several people, and more than eight cases have been registered across Garo and Khasi Hills. Investigations are ongoing,” Rasgania confirmed.
Tips to Identify Scams and Stay Safe
Rasgania provided several key tips to help citizens avoid falling into similar scams:
- Unrealistic Returns: Be cautious of apps that promise extremely high returns (more than 10% monthly). Legitimate investments seldom offer more than 20-30%.
- Communication Platforms: Fraudulent apps often operate entirely on WhatsApp or Telegram without any physical office or email communication, which is a major red flag.
- Payment Methods: They’d never use payment gateways, for example, if you have to make payment to Swiggy or any online e-commerce portal, you will have to go through Payment Gateway and from there you pay to their official accounts. However, in such kind of scam this applications what they use, they give you UPI IDs or account numbers and ask you to send money directly to these bank accounts, and this bank accounts change on every transaction. So if such kind of things is happening, then you can be sure that these applications are fraud.
- Multi-Level Marketing: So they say you get more people into this app and you will get a cut of this, So this is our classic examples and some hints that you can use to identify whether any application is fraud or not.
Rasgania urged the public to never give control of their bank accounts or SIM cards to third parties. Scammers often purchase these to carry out fraudulent activities. If any fraudulent activity is linked to your account or SIM card, they could be blocked.
“If a cybercrime occurs and you report it within the golden 24-hour period, we can block the money and help you recover it,” Rasgania emphasized. “In case of any suspicious activity, report it either via the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or through the portal cybercrime.gov.in.”
For assistance, citizens can contact the Cyber Crime Cell at the CID headquarters or request a fact-check via the official email: [email protected].