Bengaluru Faces Sharp Surge in Cybercrime, Losses Cross ₹4,143 Crore in Three Years

Bengaluru, often called India’s technology capital, is witnessing an alarming rise in cybercrime, with 44,177 complaints and financial losses of ₹4,143 crore reported over the past three years, according to Bengaluru City Police data accessed by Moneycontrol.

Officials attribute the surge to increased reliance on digital payments, remote work culture, and growing exposure to online financial platforms. The most common frauds include online trading scams, phishing attacks, UPI manipulation, and the rapidly spreading “digital arrest” extortion tactic.

Financial losses have escalated sharply. Victims lost ₹681 crore in 2023, which spiked to ₹1,996 crore in 2024. In 2025, losses have already touched ₹1,466 crore in just ten months.

One of the biggest cases emerged on November 14, when a 57-year-old IT professional was defrauded of ₹31.83 crore over six months. The scammers allegedly impersonated law enforcement, threatened legal action, and kept her under psychological pressure, extracting money through 187 transactions.

Police say the “golden hour” — the first 60 minutes after a fraudulent transfer — is crucial for freezing funds. Fraudsters quickly scatter money across multiple mule accounts, many of which are rented from unsuspecting individuals.

NCRB data shows Bengaluru recorded 17,631 cases in 2023, the highest in the country. The city had reported 9,940 cases in 2022 and 6,423 in 2021, indicating a steep upward trend.

Between 2023 and late 2025, police detected 8,144 cases and placed lien marks on ₹1,061 crore in suspicious accounts. However, only ₹312 crore was recovered, and ₹286 crore returned to victims — a recovery rate of just 7%.

Despite 1,348 arrests over three years, investigators say many syndicates operate from other states or abroad, complicating digital tracking. The use of cryptocurrency, encrypted platforms, and virtual identities further hinders prosecution.

Authorities advise citizens to promptly report fraud to the 1930 Cybercrime Helpline or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to improve chances of blocking illicit transactions and recovering funds.