Rs 28 crore lost to cyber fraud in Mysuru this year, recovery just Rs 3 crore: ACP

One victim lost nearly Rs 3 crore to a digital arrest scam, while another was tricked out of Rs 35 lakh in an investment fraud, highlighting how scammers are refining their tactics and why awareness and swift reporting are now crucial.

Mysuru: Over Rs 28 crore has been lost to cyber fraud in Mysuru city in 2025 alone, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Cybercrime, Sneha Raj said.

She was speaking at ‘Mysuru – Knockout Digital Fraud,’ a cyber fraud awareness programme organised by a non-banking financial company (NBFC) to educate digital users on various threats and best practices to safeguard their finances, held in Mysuru on Monday.

“Cyber fraud is escalating rapidly in Mysuru, with victims often struggling to break free from these digital scams. In 2025 alone, cybercriminals have siphoned off over Rs 28 crore in 128 reported cases, while recovery efforts have managed to retrieve only about Rs 3 crore,” she said.

Highlighting the need for vigilance, Sneha Raj shared two recent cases from Mysuru. In one, a victim lost nearly Rs 3 crore to a digital arrest scam, while in another, a woman was defrauded of Rs 35 lakh through an elaborate investment fraud. “These incidents reflect how cybercriminals are continuously evolving their tactics, making public awareness and timely reporting critical,” she added.

“We urge citizens to report cyber fraud immediately by calling the helpline number 1930. Prompt reporting helps us freeze fraudulent transactions and pursue the perpetrators. Awareness is our most powerful weapon in tackling this growing threat,” she said.

The programme follows the Reserve Bank of India’s 2024 guidelines on fraud risk management for NBFCs, which stress early detection, staff accountability and public engagement to make the digital ecosystem safer.

The event focused on educating users about common scams involving fake social media accounts, WhatsApp groups and fraudulent websites that impersonate financial companies and their employees.

Retired ACP G N Mohan offered practical safety tips, advising people not to share OTPs or PINs, and to avoid clicking on suspicious emails, SMSs, links or QR codes, or downloading apps from unknown sources.