Two prominent bogus Facebook profiles—one belonging to Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Gehlot and the other to Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi—were shown online on Monday night in a somewhat unsettling development. These digital twins appear to be a part of a worrying trend in which con artists pose as high-ranking authorities in order to carry out their evil plots.

These online tricks are nothing new to Gujarat, which is proud to be the third-most cyber-fraud-prone state in the country right now. With an astounding 121,701 cyber fraud instances recorded, there are more than 333 scams a day and over 13 frauds per hour. Not to mention the financial cost: in only the last year, fraudsters have lost an astounding Rs 650 crores.

The most recent incident involving the fictitious Facebook profiles highlights the growing scope of these online fraudsters. The Cybercrime section immediately sprung into action and launched an inquiry in an attempt to stop the scammers. Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi, meanwhile, alerted the people on social media, saying, "Heads up! There's a phony Facebook ID floating around that uses my name. Don't reply to any messages or friend requests you receive from this fake; report it right away!

Gujarat's position is growing more worrying as cybercrimes in the financial and internet spheres are on the rise. According to recent data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, 49,220 cyber fraud allegations from Gujarat in 2023 are still pending out of 121,701 total complaints. Cybercriminals have cheated the people of Gujarat of Rs650.53 crore, leaving R156.9 crore in limbo, adding to the misery.
Cyberfraud is becoming more commonplace nationwide; in India, 1,128,265 complaints were registered in 2023. With 197,547 instances, Uttar Pradesh is in the lead, followed by Maharashtra (125,153), and Gujarat (third).

The Gujarat government's response to cyber theft was harshly criticized by Congress spokesperson Hiren Banker, who said, "If even the Home Minister isn't safe from these digital bandits, what does that say about the security of the general public in Gujarat?"

Banker bemoaned the lack of resources, pointing out that there are only 14 cybercrime police stations in Gujarat to address the rising problem of internet fraud and financial crimes.

He called on the BJP administration to step up measures to counter the cybercrime pandemic and increase public understanding of cybersecurity, particularly among younger voters. Strong preventative measures and public education are more important than ever in order to safeguard people and preserve confidence in digital platforms as cybercrime continues to advance.