Bengaluru: Despite sustained awareness campaigns by the Centre, investigating agencies, state police, the IT department and the media, Karnataka has lost Rs 11.6 crore to digital-arrest fraud in just the first 59 days of 2026 — averaging Rs 19.6 lakh every single day.Of this, only Rs 25.2 lakh — or, a meagre 2.2% —- has been recovered so far, according to data from the Karnataka home department.The figures are a grim reminder that even as authorities ramp up outreach, cybercriminals are not only keeping pace, they are also raising the stakes. Between Jan 2023 and Feb 2026, digital-arrest cases have extorted more than Rs 468.6 crore from victims.Official figures for March 2026 are yet to be compiled, but individual cases are already piling up, signalling that the year’s tally could far exceed early projections. A case that highlights the audacity of these fraudsters: On March 8, a 94-year-old research scholar filed a complaint after losing nearly Rs 5 crore to a digital-arrest scam.A look at Karnataka’s digital arrest data over the past three years reveals a volatile but persistently damaging trend. In 2023, when the crime was still gaining traction among cybercriminals, 196 cases accounted for Rs 22.5 crore in losses, with Rs 2.3 crore recovered.In 2024, as many as 1,129 cases were registered, with victims losing Rs 219.4 crore — the highest case on record. Recovery stood at Rs 27.8 crore, or roughly 13%. In 2025, the number of cases dropped sharply to 345, yet the total loss remained nearly comparable at Rs 215.1 crore, with only Rs 10.7 crore — about 5% — recovered.What the numbers also reveal is a shift in the nature of attacks. Criminals appear to be targeting fewer victims but extracting far larger sums. The average loss per case was Rs 19.4 lakh in 2024. In 2025, that figure jumped to Rs 62.3 lakh. In 2026, with just 25 cases so far, the per-case average already stands at Rs 46.3 lakh — a number expected to climb as the year progresses.Home minister G Parameshwara recently told the state legislature that the govt had issued orders for speedy investigation of all cybercrime cases. He noted that Karnataka operates 45 CEN (Cyber Economic and Narcotic Crime) stations, with the first — also the country’s first — established in 2010.“Cybercrime cops across the state have been instructed to remain vigilant. We have established a separate cyber command with a DG, and set up the Centre for Cybercrime Investigation and Digital Forensic Training and Research at the CID office, under which special training is being provided to police,” Parameshwara said.—–YearCasesMoney LostMoney Recovered2026*25Rs 11.6-crRs 25-lakh2025345Rs 215.1-crRs 10.6-cr20241,129Rs 219.4-crRs 27.8-cr2023196Rs 22.5-crRs 2.3-crTotal1,695Rs 468.6-crRs 41-crSource: Home Dept | Up to Feb 2026 | Figures Rounded Off
