While most Chartered Accountants are busy helping people save on taxes, a group of Mumbai and Thane-based CAs is going a step further — fighting cybercrime with creativity. After a shocking incident in which a colleague was blackmailed using morphed photos by scammers running a fake loan app, this tight-knit group of 30 CAs turned their frustration into action.

A group of 30 Mumbai and Thane-based CAs has launched a unique cyber awareness initiative using comic-style cartoons and videos to explain common online scams. The campaign was sparked by a chilling incident involving one of their own — a female employee who fell prey to a fraudulent loan app scam.

In January this year, cybercriminals morphed the woman’s photos and sent them to her contacts while blackmailing her for Rs 3000. When the CA team approached the Rabodi police station in Thane, where the woman lives, they reportedly received no help. The police allegedly advised her to change her SIM card and format her phone.