Cybercrime surges across India, citizens lose millions daily

February 17, 2026

Abhishek Vij

India can be proud that its digital revolution is no less than that of any other powerful country. We proudly claim that 90 percent of the country’s population now has a mobile phone. However, alongside this internet revolution, the biggest concern for everyone, both common and private, is that the means of protection against the ravages of digital fraud have proven ineffective in the last five years.

It is shocking that cyber frauds worth over Rs52,976 crore have occurred in the last five years. However, the country and states are constantly vigilant against this. In 2023, more than 86,000 cases of such fraud were registered. The number of complaints filed on the cybercrime portal is steadily increasing. In 2024, 22.68 lakh such complaints were received by the authorities, compared to only 2.57 lakh in 2020.

In 2021, there were 4.52 lakh complaints. Since then, such crimes have skyrocketed. In Punjab, the number of cybercrimes in recent years has dropped from 697 in 2022 to 511 in 2023. Haryana is particularly affected by these crimes. In 2021, there were 622 cases of cyber fraud, which increased to 751 in 2023. Himachal Pradesh is no exception, with 127 cases registered there in 2023. While the figures are somewhat outdated, these are the only authentic data available.

Clearly, the level of cybercrime remained the same even after 2023. Now, these cases have escalated to digital arrests. Fake lotteries are being run. People are lured with the promise of low- or no-interest loans, and their account information is then emptied. The alarming situation is that complainants report that corrupt individuals within banks are providing their account details to cybercriminals. As for action taken after a complaint, there has only been a partial ban on receiving immediate information about money being stolen from accounts.

In a recent decision, the RBI has stated that if someone suffers a digital fraud related to their bank accounts, the bank can compensate the victim up to 25,000 rupees. A module called “Pratibimba” has been created to catch cybercriminals, which helps locate criminals. The government claims that 16,840 criminals have been caught with the help of this module, but despite this, the number of these crimes is increasing day by day. It has now become international. With modern technology, fraudsters spread their virtual network. In response to this growing threat, the Home Ministry has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center.

According to police reports, this campaign was intensified by 2023, and within two years, by October 31, 2025, more than 11.14 lakh fake SIM cards and 2.96 lakh mobile handsets have been blocked. Helpline 1930 has been launched to assist the general public. In the campaign to prevent fraudulent transactions, fraudulent transactions worth Rs8,031 crore have been detected.

The government has now established a Cyber Multi-Agency Center, which provides for both criminal apprehension and surveillance. These measures offer assurances that the government is vigilant about cybercrime, but it’s also true that delaying complaints after they are filed only creates difficulties. Criminals are rarely caught, and the money lost in fraudulent transactions becomes nearly impossible to recover