Telangana citizens lose ₹4-5 crore to cybercriminals every day: Police official
Telangana Cyber Security Bureau Director Shikha Goel along with cyber security expert Jiten Jain, cyber law expert and advocate Pavan Duggal and others in Hyderabad. | Photo credit: By arrangement
Nearly 60% of the money lost to cyber crime victims in Telangana is related to stock trading and investment scams, while ₹ 455 crore lost to cyber fraudsters has been recovered in the last two years, said Shikha Goel, principal secretary, Home and Telangana Cyber Security Bureau director.
The officer said at a cyber symposium in Madhapur on Tuesday that organized cybercrime networks are increasingly relying on human behavior and not just technological vulnerabilities to gain the trust of victims before manipulating them into transferring money.
Fraud networks have also become more sophisticated, with operations being run from countries including Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. They operate in different locations and time zones, making it difficult for investigators to get to those who control the networks, she said.
Some syndicates operate sophisticated call centers staffed with people who speak the languages of their intended targets. “Cybercrime is one of the most organized crimes. It is also one of the most preventable crimes,” Goel said, adding that fear, greed and ignorance often make people vulnerable.
She advised people to pause, think and check before responding to requests for money or personal information.
The discussion, entitled “When Trust Becomes a Weapon – The New Battle for the Human Mind”, was attended by more than 200 people and also focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence in cyber threats.
Cyber law expert and Supreme Court advocate Pavan Duggal has warned against over-reliance on AI in day-to-day decision-making, arguing that outsourcing tasks and judgment to technology could gradually erode people’s ability to think independently.
Cyber security expert Jiten Jain, meanwhile, advised people to treat their mobile numbers as sensitive personal information rather than routinely sharing them at shops and counters. Such information could become an entry point for social engineering and identity fraud, he said.
In her opening remarks, Shruti Mallpani, managing administrator of the symposium, said that the real battle is not technology, it is human judgement. She said the goal of the forum was to create conversations to help citizens understand emerging threats and make safer decisions in the digital environment.
The program also unveiled videos and materials on cyber security prepared in collaboration with Telangana Cyber Security Bureau. Organizers said the initiative helped create awareness among nearly 2.95 million retirees and more than three million employees across the state.
Published – 30 Sep 2026 20:48 IST