Army officer impostors, fake apps: Cyber scams trap Nagaland citizens

Alpha Rahjone Pukhomai

DIMAPUR — When John, a young man in Nagaland, put his products up for sale on OLX, he believed he was dealing with a genuine buyer. The caller convinced him that he was an army officer and even sent what appeared to be an official-looking form. Within minutes, John lost his money.

“I had believed that the scam caller was an army officer, as they convinced me by sending a peculiar scanner, saying that this was the form they use for privacy. He pretended to purchase a product I had put online,” he said.

In another case, a college student transferred INR 30,000 to what he thought was an investment platform, only to realise within 15 minutes that he had been scammed. Despite filing an FIR, he was told by police personnel that “cases like these are pretty common.”

Also read: Cybercrime in Nagaland: INR 15 crore scammed in 18 months; INR 2 crore liened

Another victim said a scammer posed as a known shopkeeper and persuaded him to transfer INR 30,000 by claiming his wife was in hospital. “It was during the evening, an odd time, yet I was convinced by his pleading voice,” the victim recounted.

The losses are not always small. One bank customer reported that what began as an investment of INR 1,500 in a stock-trading scheme escalated into losses totalling INR 50 lakh in just two months.

College students have also been targeted by fraudulent job offers and investment apps, including Zalando, which disappeared after collecting money, and firms like RGA, which claimed affiliation with the government of India.

Iloni, a college student, was persuaded by a peer to install an app promising income for merely going live online. “I believed it despite the awareness I was given on cybercrime. I was desperate at that time, as I had to purchase some essentials, and my family is financially unstable,” she said.

Another student, Rahul Sharma, described how a caller posing as a Flipkart delivery agent digitally trapped him and extorted INR 43,000. “I was fearful and confused at that hour,” he said.

Rising trend

Nagaland is experiencing a surge in financial cybercrime, with cases involving phishing, fraudulent investment schemes, fake job offers and social engineering attacks.

A cybercrime officer in Kohima explained that cybercrime syndicates operate like organised businesses. “Educated cybercriminals within these networks develop and sell malicious software and tools on dark web marketplaces. Once installed on a victim’s device through phishing links or fake websites, these applications can grant hackers full access to personal and financial information almost instantly.”

National data also reflects the scale of the problem. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), cybercrime cases rose sharply from 27,248 in 2018 to 65,893 in 2022. In 2024, Parliament was informed that the country had suffered losses exceeding INR 22,845 crore due to financial cyber frauds.

Authorities say unemployed young people are particularly at risk of being drawn into cyber rings, sometimes without realising the criminality of their actions. Referring to a previous report that 33 youth from Nagaland were suspected victims of cyber slavery, the officer clarified that after verification, “it has been found that they were not trapped.”

Mode of operation

Fraud methods vary, including scammers posing as police personnel, relatives in distress, lottery officials and stock market advisers.

According to a bank official, who requested anonymity, fraudsters often target affluent individuals, as the illiterate and poor do not have the sufficient income for them to profit. “Victims were looted due to their own elements of greed, while there are innocent ones who have been emotionally manipulated,” he added.

The official warned that some individuals may unknowingly become “money mules” by receiving and transferring funds obtained through fraud. “This black money can make you a criminal without knowledge; it can usually come in the form of fraudulent investments,” he cautioned.

Response and advice

Banks say timely reporting can help freeze accounts and prevent further losses. Victims can call the 1930 helpline to lodge complaints. Officials explained that if negligence is proven on the bank’s part, customers will not be held liable; where victims have voluntarily shared sensitive details, banks may not be accountable, though complaints can still be pursued.

According to the cybercrime officer in Kohima, “A victim should have all the evidence—screenshots, profile URLs, transaction IDs, messages, app details—when filing a complaint in police station.” Without proper evidence, investigating cybercrimes is difficult, as digital traces are highly volatile, he said, adding that once a complaint is filed, the investigation process begins immediately.

He also said that police personnel are undergoing training sessions on new cybercrime trends, investigative procedures and advanced tools.

On the part of the state government, Daniel Krocha, Deputy Director of Information Technology and Communication (IT&C), told Eastern Mirror that the state is working with the central government and agencies such as CERT-In to secure digital systems and respond to attacks.

With more e-governance services being used in the state and elsewhere, the department is working to ensure that these platforms are safe and following global security standards. Further, government departments are not only training their staff but also taking initiatives to gradually bring awareness to students and the public through various conferences, he added.

Meanwhile, the cybercrime official stressed that awareness and vigilance remain the first line of defence, as “cybercrime affects everyone regardless of age, wealth, or intent.”

(Alpha Rahjone Pukhomai is a student of English at Tetso College and currently interning with Eastern Mirror).