<p>Bengaluru: Despite a massive decline in 'digital arrest' cases last year, the threat posed by the infamous cybercrime still looms large in Karnataka, police say. </p>.<p>According to an analysis by DH of the recent Karnataka Home Ministry data, last year witnessed a major trend — both in terms of reduction of cases and the way this particular cybercrime evolved into weaponising recent and real news to convince the victims. </p>.<p>The data showed that cases across the state dropped from 1,129 in 2024 to 345 in 2025, a 69.4% decline. In 2023, there were 196 digital arrest cases. </p>.<p>However, further analysis paints a much darker picture: despite the sharp drop in cases, the overall monetary loss in both years remained very close. In 2024, the victims lost Rs 219 crore, an average loss of Rs 19.4 lakh per case, while in 2025, the total money lost was Rs 215 crore, an average loss of Rs 62.4 lakh per case.</p>.<p>With 25 cases in 2026 through February, Rs 11.57 crore was already lost, averaging a loss of Rs 46.31 lakh per case. </p>.<p>The fact that more money is lost by the victims despite a decline in cases is proof that digital arrest is still a significant threat, according to cybercrime investigators in the state. </p>.<p>"The modus operandi has evolved over the last year, as the scammers are now targeting a specific segment of the population, especially the senior citizens, who are much more gullible to succumbing under threats. They are also using recent events like major bomb blasts, terror attacks and significant drug busts as a means to threaten the victims, making them believe that they were genuinely embroiled in a legal case,” a senior Bengaluru police officer told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>Multiple police officers the <span class="italic">DH</span> spoke with concurred that midway in 2025, awareness campaigns towards digital arrest scams had gone into a hibernation mode, giving the fraudsters a second wind. </p>.<p>"The continuation of the modus operandi can also be attributed to the sudden stoppage of large-scale awareness campaigns. The intensity of the awareness efforts is very low compared to when the cases started blowing up. After the prime minister himself spoke about digital arrest scams in 2024, there was a concerted awareness effort from the Centre and the state, including warning messages before every phone call was connected, periodic text messages warning of the scam, and advertisements in the news and on social media. All that seems to have stopped now," a senior cybercrime investigator said, adding that there was an immediate need to revive the awareness programmes, especially from the Union government. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Despite a massive decline in 'digital arrest' cases last year, the threat posed by the infamous cybercrime still looms large in Karnataka, police say. </p>.<p>According to an analysis by DH of the recent Karnataka Home Ministry data, last year witnessed a major trend — both in terms of reduction of cases and the way this particular cybercrime evolved into weaponising recent and real news to convince the victims. </p>.<p>The data showed that cases across the state dropped from 1,129 in 2024 to 345 in 2025, a 69.4% decline. In 2023, there were 196 digital arrest cases. </p>.<p>However, further analysis paints a much darker picture: despite the sharp drop in cases, the overall monetary loss in both years remained very close. In 2024, the victims lost Rs 219 crore, an average loss of Rs 19.4 lakh per case, while in 2025, the total money lost was Rs 215 crore, an average loss of Rs 62.4 lakh per case.</p>.<p>With 25 cases in 2026 through February, Rs 11.57 crore was already lost, averaging a loss of Rs 46.31 lakh per case. </p>.<p>The fact that more money is lost by the victims despite a decline in cases is proof that digital arrest is still a significant threat, according to cybercrime investigators in the state. </p>.<p>"The modus operandi has evolved over the last year, as the scammers are now targeting a specific segment of the population, especially the senior citizens, who are much more gullible to succumbing under threats. They are also using recent events like major bomb blasts, terror attacks and significant drug busts as a means to threaten the victims, making them believe that they were genuinely embroiled in a legal case,” a senior Bengaluru police officer told <span class="italic">DH</span>. </p>.<p>Multiple police officers the <span class="italic">DH</span> spoke with concurred that midway in 2025, awareness campaigns towards digital arrest scams had gone into a hibernation mode, giving the fraudsters a second wind. </p>.<p>"The continuation of the modus operandi can also be attributed to the sudden stoppage of large-scale awareness campaigns. The intensity of the awareness efforts is very low compared to when the cases started blowing up. After the prime minister himself spoke about digital arrest scams in 2024, there was a concerted awareness effort from the Centre and the state, including warning messages before every phone call was connected, periodic text messages warning of the scam, and advertisements in the news and on social media. All that seems to have stopped now," a senior cybercrime investigator said, adding that there was an immediate need to revive the awareness programmes, especially from the Union government. </p>
