Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, is reeling under a digital crime wave. In just 18 months, the city has lost a staggering ₹572.68 crore to “digital arrest” scams, fraudulent schemes where cybercriminals pose as law enforcement or government officials and extort money under the threat of fabricated legal consequences.
According to data presented by Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara in the Legislative Assembly, 1,004 such cases have been registered in Bengaluru between 2024 and mid-2025, Bangalore Mirror reported.
That’s an average of nearly three people being duped every single day. Worse, the financial haemorrhage adds up to ₹1.05 crore lost daily, or ₹4.37 lakh every hour.
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The scam is simple but terrifying. Victims receive fake calls from fraudsters impersonating police, CBI, or RBI officials, accusing them of crimes like money laundering or illegal courier packages. To “avoid arrest,” the victims are coerced into transferring money immediately.
Bengaluru worst hit
Of all districts in Karnataka, Bengaluru is by far the worst hit, accounting for more than 80% of the state’s total digital arrest cases, the report further added. In 2024 alone, the city lost ₹148.84 crore to such scams. But the first half of 2025 has already seen a massive surge, with losses ballooning to ₹423.83 crore.
{{/usCountry}}Of all districts in Karnataka, Bengaluru is by far the worst hit, accounting for more than 80% of the state’s total digital arrest cases, the report further added. In 2024 alone, the city lost ₹148.84 crore to such scams. But the first half of 2025 has already seen a massive surge, with losses ballooning to ₹423.83 crore.
{{/usCountry}}Other cities have reported similar crimes, though on a smaller scale. Mysuru saw 32 cases in 2024 involving ₹72 lakh, and 10 more this year ( ₹2.19 crore lost). Mangaluru logged 22 cases last year ( ₹90 lakh lost) and just four so far this year, although the victims there lost ₹4.73 crore.
Even as the number of cases explodes, authorities are struggling to keep up. Of the 1,055 FIRs filed across the state in 2024, only 99 were solved. In January 2025, 210 more cases were filed, but just 24 were cracked.
Bengaluru police managed to trace and refund money in only 190 cases last year, and just 30 so far in 2025, less than 25% of the total. Officials admit the actual numbers could be even higher, as many victims hesitate to report out of shame or fear.
Home Minister Parameshwara said the government is expanding cybercrime units, hiring more staff, and launching awareness drives. However, with scams growing in complexity, the enforcement gap remains wide.
Statewide figures show just how fast the menace is escalating. Karnataka recorded 210 cases in all of 2024. But by January 2025 alone, that number had already surged to 1,055, a jaw-dropping 402% increase.
While overall cybercrime cases dropped from 22,472 in 2024 to 8,620 in January 2025, the rise of digital arrest scams underscores how quickly criminals adapt to enforcement patterns.
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