Goa, Aug. 23 -- South Goa is reeling under a surge in online and offline frauds, with criminals employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to dupe citizens. Cases span impersonation of officials, sham raids, bogus delivery schemes, cyber fraud and fake job offers, with vulnerable groups such as the elderly and women most at risk.

In several incidents, fraudsters targeted elderly persons walking alone, persuading them to hand over gold ornaments under the pretext of "safety" from thefts, only to swap them with worthless items. A man in Fatorda lost his gold ring on 15 July 2025, while similar cases were reported elsewhere in the district. In Shiroda, a resident was cheated of Rs 3.35 lakh on 9 July 2025 by criminals who used fake ID car...