A routine investment turned into a nightmare for Nitu Y, a bank clerk who lost more than ₹30 lakh to a fraudulent online stock-trading app. The app falsely showed profits of ₹90 lakh, but when she attempted to withdraw her earnings, she was told to pay hefty commissions. After transferring the amount, she was informed the payment hadn’t arrived—despite using RTGS.
Her banking expertise kicked in instantly. Realising the explanation was impossible, she called 1930, India’s national cybercrime helpline under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
Nitu’s case reflects a rising wave of cyber fraud in India—where over 2.27 million cases were reported in 2024 and losses exceeded ₹22,800 crore, according to parliamentary data.
For more cybercrime coverage, see technology and security updates and India’s national safety initiatives.
AI tool speeds up police investigations
Nitu was fortunate to live in Nagpur district, where police have been using MahaCrimeOS AI—a Microsoft Foundry-powered crime investigation platform—since April 2025. This tool allows police to file digital complaints, analyse data and generate investigation workflows within minutes.
At Saoner police station, Nitu’s FIR was filed in just 15 minutes. She submitted URLs, bank statements, mobile numbers and screenshots—all of which the system processed automatically, extracting data from English, Hindi and Marathi documents.
Assistant Police Inspector Ashish Singh Thakur said such cases earlier took 2–3 months to compile, as officers manually contacted dozens of banks and service providers. With MahaCrimeOS AI, the same work took just one week.
The system automates drafting letters, analysing call detail records, and identifying investigation pathways—functions that previously required senior-level expertise.
Maharashtra to deploy AI across all police stations
On December 12, 2025, the Maharashtra government announced that MahaCrimeOS AI will be expanded from 23 Nagpur stations to all 1,100 police stations statewide. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the platform aligns with the state’s goal of “ethical and responsible AI for public good.”
The state also formed MARVEL (Maharashtra Advanced Research and Vigilance for Enforcement of Reformed Laws) to introduce AI in governance and law enforcement.
For background, see Cybercrime in India – Wikipedia.
Empowering officers and supporting victims
Investigators say the AI tool has boosted confidence and efficiency. Officers who once struggled with cyber cases can now handle seven to eight cases a month.
For Nitu, although her financial recovery continues—with ₹8 lakh already retrieved—the emotional support from police matters just as much. “The intensity of my financial loss has faded, but the support from the police will never fade,” she said.
Source: Microsoft announcement, Maharashtra government statements