Karnataka Sees Surge in Cybercrime as Celebrities, Officials, and Professionals Fall Victim

Karnataka has registered 12,406 cybercrime cases this year, averaging over 1,200 cases a month, underscoring an alarming rise in digital fraud. Experts say that while people are aware of basic online safety, the fast-paced lifestyle and fear-driven manipulation used by scammers often lead to costly mistakes.

In a recent case, police arrested a 25-year-old man from Bihar for hacking the phones of actor Upendra, his wife Priyanka, and their manager. Using Priyanka’s hacked WhatsApp account, the accused sent messages requesting money, prompting even the couple’s son to transfer ₹50,000. Investigators believe nearly 150 youths from the same region may be involved. The accused was traced to Sonia Nagar, Delhi, and arrested on November 6.

Just two days later, former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda lost ₹3 lakh after cybercriminals accessed his bank account. Gowda noticed suspicious withdrawals while reviewing his phone messages.

Cybersecurity scholar Chetan Anand said scammers use fear and urgency to override a victim’s logical thinking, pushing them to share OTPs or click malicious links. Even celebrities, he said, become easy targets as their personal details are widely available online, making tailored attacks simpler.

However, the problem extends far beyond public figures. A city police constable lost ₹5 lakh after being added to a fake WhatsApp group mimicking SBI. Misled by an urgent KYC message, he downloaded a malicious APK and entered his banking details.

Similarly, a 24-year-old bank employee from Basaveshwara Nagar lost ₹5.9 lakh in a Telegram-based part-time job scam involving a fake trading platform. After small initial rewards, he invested larger sums before the fraudsters blocked withdrawals.

In one of the most shocking cases, a 58-year-old techie was defrauded of ₹31.83 crore after being held under “digital arrest” for two months by scammers posing as DHL, CBI, and RBI officials. Under psychological pressure, she made 187 transactions, transferring nearly all her assets.

Experts warn that most of these incidents could be prevented with simple verification steps. “Blind trust is what makes people vulnerable,” said Anand, urging the public to pause, verify, and stay alert to avoid falling prey to increasingly sophisticated cyber fraud.