PANAJI— The state of Goa has marked a significant milestone in its fight against cyberfraud, reporting a 22% decline in high-value cybercrime cases recently. The drop is being credited to aggressive awareness campaigns and coordinated policing strategies.
“Cyber Surakshit Goem” Campaign Shows Impact
Following alarming losses exceeding ₹100 crore in 2024, Goa Police launched Cyber Surakshit Goem, a statewide initiative targeting schools, colleges, panchayats, churches, and temples. Under the campaign, more than 40,000 students and 450 teachers have received training on recognising digital threats .
High-visibility outreach—such as seminars during Sunday Mass, festive gatherings, and sarpanch meetings—reinforced the message. In partnership with BITS Pilani Goa, the police also deployed tools like ‘SpotTheScam’ to help users verify suspicious websites. These strategies have improved proactive reporting: Goa now leads the nation with 44.6% of residents confident in reporting cybercrimes, including a notable 50% female participation.
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Authorities note that increased reporting has enabled earlier intervention. Since October 2024, cybercrime cells have blocked over ₹7 crore in fraudulent transactions. Goa police report that the detection rate is around 33%, and awareness initiatives correlate with a 242% rise in flagged suspicious transactions over May–October 2024.
However, Goa still confronts challenges; a total of 1,788 cybercrime complaints in 2023 climbed to 2,847 in 2024, with estimated losses exceeding ₹100 crore. Only 6% of that total has been recovered, underscoring the difficulty in restitution.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change