Indians lost Rs 53K cr to fraud, cheating cases in last 6 years, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Indians lost over Rs 52,976 crore to fraud and cheating cases in the last six years, according to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
• In 2025, Rs 19,812.96 crore was lost with 21,77,524 cheating-related fraud complaints received via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
• Maharashtra recorded the highest monetary losses in 2025 with Rs 3,203 crore lost and 28,33,20 complaints recorded.
• 45% of cyber fraud complaints in 2025 originated from South-east Asian nations like Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

Detailed Insights:

• The surge in financial crimes includes investment traps, digital arrest, online scams, banking frauds, and cyber phishing, reflecting a worrying trend across the country.
• In comparison to 2025, 2024 saw Rs 22,849.49 crore lost with 19,188.82 complaints, while 2023 had Rs 7,465.2 crore lost and 15,103.61 complaints.
• The top five states worst hit by cheating and fraud-related offences (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana) account for over half of the national total.
• Complaint analysis for 2025 showed that 36% were related to investment frauds, 27% to credit card fraud, 19% to sextortion, 10% to e-commerce, 6% to digital arrest, and 3% for app/malware based fraud.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Cyber Phishing: A deceptive practice of sending emails or messages that appear to be from reputable sources to steal sensitive information.
• Digital Arrest: A type of cyber fraud where victims are coerced into paying money under the false pretense of being implicated in a crime.
• Sextortion: A form of blackmail involving threats to reveal sexual information or images if demands are not met.