Meghalaya: 700 People Duped of over Rs 1 Crore in Online Investment Scam, Hong Kong Connection Found

After the multi-crore online trading fraud that was busted in Assam, now over 700 people of Meghalaya have fallen victim to an app-based investment fraud. These people have been duped of over Rs one crore, Meghalaya Police said today.

Similar to the Assam cases, in Meghalaya too the fraudsters using apps called TAAI and DAAI promised people 30-40% interest on their investments. Some of the operators were operating from Hong Kong, the Meghalaya Police said.

Superintendent of Police (Sadar), Pankaj Kumar Rasgania, who also oversees the cyber wing of the Meghalaya Police, stated that more than eight cases related to this scam have been registered. These cases are spread across both Garo Hills and Khasi Hills, and joint investigations have begun.

Rasgania warned about the ongoing scam involving an application known as the TAAI group. This fraudulent app uses photographs and names of prominent business figures, impersonating them to gain credibility. By exploiting the names of legitimate companies, owners, and directors, they lure people into investing in the fake scheme.

The state has seen a sharp rise in cybercrime cases in recent years. Rasgania highlighted that in 2022, the National Cyber Crime Helpline Number -1930 received 1,069 calls from Meghalaya. This year the number of calls has soared to 8,414 – an eightfold increase in just two years.

Similarly, complaints registered on the national cybercrime reporting portal (cybercrime.gov.in) have grown exponentially. In 2019, only nine complaints were filed, compared to 735 in 2022, and 1,022 as of 2024.

Thanks to efforts through this portal, Meghalaya Police have successfully blocked Rs 2.42 crore from being lost to cyber fraudsters.

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