Karnataka loses Rs 5,474 crore to cyber frauds in three years: Minister

Bengaluru, Dec 9 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that over the last three years, people in the state have lost Rs 5,474 crore to cyber frauds, of which the police have managed to recover Rs 627 crore so far.

The minister was responding to a question from Sakleshpur BJP MLA Cement Manju in the Legislative Assembly.

"Cyber fraud has been increasing in recent times. In the last four years, about 52,000 cyber frauds have taken place in Karnataka, and the numbers are rising day by day," Parameshwara said.

He pointed out that the government had planned to curb cyber fraud by introducing an amendment to police laws. However, the All India Gaming Federation obtained a court stay on the amendment, and the matter is currently pending in the Supreme Court.

"The matter is listed for December 19," he added.

Parameshwara stated that while over 22,000 cyber fraud cases were filed in 2023, only a limited number were identified, leading to losses of Rs 873 crore, of which Rs 177 crore was recovered.

Cyber frauds in 2024 resulted in losses of over Rs 2,500 crore from around 22,400 cases, with more than Rs 300 crore recovered by authorities, he added.

For 2025, the minister said, cyber fraud cases have dropped to roughly 13,000 following government measures, with losses exceeding Rs 2,000 crore and recoveries of Rs 125 crore so far.

He described cyber fraud as a significant challenge not only for Karnataka but for the entire country.

Parameshwara also highlighted that Karnataka was the first state in India to create a dedicated cyber vertical headed by a Director General of Police.

"Karnataka is waging a big fight against cyber fraud, and efforts are ongoing to bring down the number of cases," he said, adding that the state currently has 43 cyber police stations under a central cyber command. PTI KSU SSK