Indians lost Rs 53,000 crore to fraud, cheating cases in last six years; Maharashtra worst hit in 2025

Overall, the total amount linked to reported financial fraud, investment schemes and cyber scams across India stood at Rs 19,812 crore. (File photo)

Indians lost more than Rs 52,976 crore to various frauds and cheating cases over the past six years, according to fresh data compiled by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a division of the Union Home Ministry. The numbers reflect a worrying surge in financial crimes across the country, including investment traps, digital arrest, online scams, banking frauds, and cyber phishing.

Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, as seen by The Indian Express, showed that around Rs 19,812.96 crore were lost and 21,77,524 cheating-related fraud complaints were received in 2025. “In comparison, around Rs 22,849.49 crore was lost and 19,188,52 complaints were received in 2024. In 2023, approximately Rs 7,463.2 crore was lost and 13,103,61 complaints were received while around Rs 2,290.23 crore was lost and 69,44,46 complaints were received in 2022. Rs 551.65 crore was lost and 2,62,846 complaints were received in 2021 and Rs 8.56 crore was lost and 12,77,46 complaints were received in 2020,” a senior official said, citing the data.

An analysis of cyber frauds complaints of the last year revealed Maharashtra has recorded the highest monetary losses in cheating-related offences across the country. The western state topped the list with Rs 3,203 crore lost and 28,33,20 complaints recorded, followed closely by Karnataka at Rs 2,413 crore and 21,32,28 complaints. Tamil Nadu with Rs 1,897 crore and 12,32,90 complaints, Uttar Pradesh with Rs 1,443 crore and 27,52,64 complaints, and Telangana with Rs 1,372 crore and 95,000 complaints, rounded out the top five states worst hit by cheating and fraud-related offences, the data showed.

Taken together, these five states alone account for more than half of the national total, underscoring both the scale of financial fraud and the particular vulnerability of urban, digitally connected populations, an official said.

In Manipur, Rs 16.74 crore was lost while around 1,807 complaints of fraud cases were received. “Out of Rs 19,812 crore, 77% was lost in the name of investment schemes, 8% lost through digital arrest, 7% via credit card fraud, 4% in sextortion, 3% in e-commerce fraud and 1% to app/malware based fraud,” data showed.

Data from the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) showed that around 21 crore cyber fraud complaints were received in 2025 with 45% of them originating from Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. “Complaints breakup shows that 36% are related to investment frauds, 27% to credit card fraud, 18% to sextortion, 10% to e-commerce, 6% to digital arrest, and 3% for app/malware based fraud,” it added.

Investigators say the sharp rise reflects several overlapping trends: Rapid digitisation, increased online transactions, and the growing sophistication of scam networks. “While urban centres remain the biggest targets, smaller cities and rural areas are also witnessing an uptick in such offences, particularly in fraudulent loan apps and investment schemes promising unrealistically high returns,” an official said.