Karnataka lost Rs 312.5 crore in ‘digital arrest’ scam over three years: Minister

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 19 (PTI) People in Karnataka lost Rs 312.5 crore in 1,314 cases of so-called 'digital arrest' over the past three years, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Friday.

Sharing data in a written reply in the state Assembly, the minister said only Rs 24.86 crore had been recovered, while Rs 18.33 crore of the cheated amount was returned to victims.

According to the data, 147 cases of digital arrest were reported in 2023, when the trend first emerged, resulting in losses of Rs 16.66 crore.

'Digital arrest' is a form of cyber fraud where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers and threaten people through audio or video calls, forcing them to transfer money online.

The cases surged sharply in 2024 to 874, with losses amounting to Rs 151.25 crore. In 2025, the number of cases declined to 293, though the amount lost remained high at Rs 144.59 crore.

The data also showed a decline in overall cybercrime cases this year. Karnataka recorded 22,255 cybercrime cases in 2023, which rose marginally to 22,479 in 2024 before dropping to 13,599 in 2025.

While murder cases have declined, cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have risen steadily, from 2,197 in 2019 to 4,096 in 2025.

The minister said overall atrocity cases showed a decline; however, atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes increased from 1,587 in 2019 to 2,277 in 2025.

Sexual assault cases against women declined this year compared to the previous three years, falling from 6,489 in 2023 and 6,568 in 2024 to 5,201 in 2025.

Riot-related cases also showed a downward trend, decreasing from 3,907 in 2023 to 3,462 in 2024 and 3,094 in 2025.

Drug-related cases, however, increased from 4,168 in 2024 to 5,930 in 2025, he added. The state destroyed drugs worth Rs 104.18 crore this year, the highest ever in Karnataka’s history.

The data further revealed a year-on-year rise in cases registered against police personnel, increasing from 16 cases involving 21 policemen in 2019 to 78 cases involving 47 policemen in 2023, he said. PTI GMS SSK