Panaji: The cybercrime cell of Goa police has detected a new ‘boss scam’ targeting corporate companies and businessmen. A businessman from Mapusa has reportedly lost Rs 2 crore, and the cybercrime cell has received three additional complaints linked to the same fraud.PI Deepak Pednekar said cybercriminals impersonate a boss, a senior officer, or management and send a ZIP file with instructions to open it on an official computer. Once opened, it can be used to compromise systems, steal data, or enable fraudulent transactions.“One careless click can compromise your system, steal confidential information, and lead to financial fraud,” Pednekar said.Explaining the modus operandi, Pednekar said, “One can receive an email or message that appears to be from your boss with an urgent request to open a ZIP file. If you open or execute the file, malware may steal credentials, monitor activity, establish unauthorised access or spread to other systems. Criminals may misuse stolen data to manipulate payment instructions, initiate unauthorised transactions or bypass security controls.”The PI said that before opening the ZIP file, one should confirm with the sender through a known phone number or a trusted channel. “Do not extract or run suspicious files and never bypass antivirus and security controls,” he said and added, “Never rely only on email, WhatsApp or voice calls to authorise a payment. Use dual authorisation and separation of duties.”In case one clicks the ZIP file, one should immediately isolate the computer and inform IT/security immediately. Do not delete files or try to investigate on one’s own, the PI said, and added, “If payment details may be compromised, notify your bank and finance team. Report cyber financial fraud at 1930,” he said.Goa police continue to struggle with a low cybercrime detection rate, with more than half of the cases registered in the state remaining undetected. Since April 2022, only 202 of the 556 cybercrime cases registered have been detected, with a detection rate of 36%. While the rate improved to 44% between Jan 2025 and Aug 2026, 171 of the 306 cases registered during this period are still awaiting detection.
