Karnataka residents lost Rs 109 crore to ‘digital arrest’ frauds this year; only Rs 9.45 crore recovered

Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters impersonating law enforcement officials to deceive victims into transferring large sums of money.

Karnataka residents lost Rs 109 crore to digital frauds this year, but only Rs 9.45 crore has been recovered so far.Speaking at the legislative council on December 12, Home Minister G Parameshwara revealed that 641 cases of ‘digital arrest; scams were reported in 2024. Of these, 480 cases were from Bengaluru city, while Mysuru reported 24 cases and Mangaluru 21 cases.

“Of the total defrauded amount, Rs 9.45 crore has been recovered, and 27 people have been arrested in connection with these scams,” he said while responding to a query from BJP MLC K Pratap Simha Nayak.

Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters impersonating law enforcement officials to deceive victims into transferring large sums of money.The minister further said that across India, over 42,000 digital fraud cases were reported last year, with Karnataka accounting for 11,000 cases, underscoring the state's vulnerability to such crimes.

Parameshwara stated that the police have tracked and deactivated over 700 social media accounts and groups that targeted victims. “To combat the problem, we have deactivated 268 Facebook groups, 465 Telegram groups, 15 Instagram accounts, and 61 WhatsApp groups involved in fraudulent activities,” he said.

The government is conducting awareness campaigns in schools, colleges, and other institutions to educate people about digital fraud.“We are taking strict legal action against cybercriminals and encouraging victims to report incidents promptly. Immediate reporting is crucial,” he said, urging the public to use the 1930 helpline for assistance with cyber fraud cases.