MUMBAI: Gamdevi police have recovered ₹3.15 lakh that fraudsters duped from acquaintances of Shiv Sena national secretary and spokesperson Shaina NC after hacking her phone in July, following more than three months of follow-up by the politician.
The fraud took place on July 16, when cyber criminals gained access to Shaina NC’s phone and messaged people on her contact list in her name. The messages asked for urgent help of ₹49,000 and promised to return the money within two hours. Trusting her name, nine people transferred nearly ₹4.9 lakh to the fraudsters’ accounts within just three hours.
As soon as she realised her phone had been hacked, Shaina NC lodged a complaint at Gamdevi police station. By then, however, the money had already been withdrawn from the accounts.
Over the next three months, she stayed in regular touch with senior police inspectors Prashant Mohite and Pravinkumar Salunkhe and police sub-inspector Virendra Singh Khandade, urging that the probe continue until the money was traced.
A special team led by PSI Khandade, working on technical evidence, tracked the accused to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and later to Bihar. The team recovered ₹1.68 lakh in cash from Bhandara and ₹98,000 in cash from Bihar.
One of the victims, Pankaj Jain, alerted his bank immediately after the transfer. The bank froze his ₹49,000 in time, and the amount was later returned to him.
Police are still trying to recover the remaining money, including ₹67,000 that the fraudsters withdrew in cash.
Thanking the Gamdevi police team, Shaina NC said, “The officers worked day and night to bring this money back. I am deeply grateful for their commitment.”
She said the victims had trusted her name and reputation, which made it her moral responsibility to see the case through. “When someone loses their hard-earned money just because they trusted your name, you cannot walk away after filing a complaint. You have to keep trying until the victims get justice,” she said.
She urged citizens to stay alert and call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 immediately if they are cheated online, as quick reporting greatly improves the chances of freezing and saving the money.
“Rooting out such crimes will take time. Until then, we all have to stay united and fight this challenge together,” she added.