TGCSB flags ₹30 crore cyber fraud losses among doctors; awareness meeting held in Hyderabad

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Tuesday held a high-level interaction with representatives of the medical fraternity to address the growing number of cyber fraud cases targeting doctors across the State.

The meeting was led by TGCSB Director Shikha Goel along with senior officers Harshavardhan and B. Sai Sri. Officials said the objective was to strengthen collaboration with healthcare professionals and enhance preventive cyber awareness measures.

According to the bureau, 735 doctors in Telangana have fallen victim to cyber fraud since September 2024, resulting in losses of ₹29.88 crore. Officials said business and investment scams accounted for the highest share of losses, with 127 victims losing ₹22.39 crore, followed by ‘digital arrest’ frauds in which 22 victims lost ₹2.26 crore, identity theft (144 victims lost ₹2.05 crore), impersonation cases (181 victims lost ₹1.32 crore) and advertisement-related frauds (188 victims lost ₹1.17 crore).

Other categories included job scams, sextortion, loan frauds, insurance frauds, UPI frauds, matrimonial frauds and cryptocurrency-related offences.

The interaction was attended by 72 representatives from leading medical associations across Telangana, including the Indian Medical Association, Telangana Speciality Hospital Association, Telangana Doctors Federation, Telangana Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association, and several other specialty bodies representing paediatrics, cardiology, obstetrics, gynaecology, orthopaedics and dentistry.

Officials said the TGCSB and medical associations have resolved to work jointly under a shared initiative focused on cyber awareness, prevention and protection, aimed at safeguarding healthcare professionals from increasingly sophisticated online frauds.