MUMBAI, July 3 -- In a startling disclosure during the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature, the state Home Department, led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, revealed that over 10.7 million investors across Maharashtra were defrauded of a staggering Rs.3.18 lakh crore over the last decade. The figures were part of a written response to Congress MLC Satej Patil, who raised concerns about the alarming rise in economic and digital frauds across the state. Citing data from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the Home Department stated that 271,000 investors in Mumbai alone lost Rs.2.95 lakh crore to fraudulent investment schemes between 2014 and 2024. In the rest of Maharashtra, 10.5 million investors were cheated of Rs.22,552 crore during the same period. The reply also flagged the growing threat of cyber fraud. Between 2016 and May 2025, the state registered 46,321 cybercrime cases related to financial frauds, with total reported losses of Rs.11,033.97 crore. In the calendar year 2024 alone, the Maharashtra National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal received 58,157 complaints of financial fraud amounting to Rs.1,186.46 crore. Of these, 31,583 complaints were from Mumbai, 13,971 from Pune, and 12,582 from Thane. To counter this growing menace, the government has established a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Mumbai Police, and similar units in every police commissionerate and district SP office. These FIUs are tasked with monitoring unusually high returns. The Home Department's reply also highlighted the government's emphasis on awareness and prevention....