In an event hosted by the city police of Hyderabad, India, the additional commissioner of police, Shikha Goel, warned Indian citizens about the rise in cybercrime and suggested they avoid transfering cryptocurrencies to unauthorized private wallets.

Goel highlighted the various methods actively being used by fraudsters to dupe investors, such as lucrative investment opportunities, illegitimate bank transfers and cryptocurrencies. Acknowledging the growth of Indian crypto users, Goel added:

“They [fraudsters] ask you to share your cryptocurrency details. And once you put it in your wallet, then the money is taken away.”

After simplifying the elaborate fraud in a sentence, Goel also highlighted that sixteen such cases involving cryptocurrencies have been registered.

As a fair warning to the Indian crypto investors, the commissioner said:

“If you are going to be using or investing in cryptocurrency, please go only to the reputed and long-established players in this field.”

In an interview with The Hindu, Goel revealed that 14 out of the 16 crypto fraud cases were directly related to investment and trading. Typically, the fraudsters convince the victims to transfer their newly purchased cryptocurrencies for higher profits, which according to Goel:

“People have been cheated of 3.45 crore rupees (roughly $458,000) in their greed for higher returns against investment in cryptocurrency.”

“Once you get cheated, it is a dead-end. Virtual money can never be traced back and returned to the original owner,” she concluded.

Related: Indian state government to accredit Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 blockchain startups

The state government of Telangana also leads India’s blockchain efforts as it launches the India Blockchain Accelerator program to foster early-stage Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 startups, and blockchain developers.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Rama Devi Lanka, Telangana government’s director of emerging technology, shared her interest in using blockchain technology to solve real-world problems, adding:

“The Telangana government will help provide the required regulatory framework to enable and promote blockchain growth.”