Karnataka reports 641 digital fraud cases in 2024, losses exceed Rs 109 cr

Belagavi: The Karnataka government has reported 641 digital fraud cases this year, resulting in losses of over Rs 109 crore, said State Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday.

He noted that the state accounted for over one-fourth of the country’s total digital arrest cases.

Of the defrauded amount, the Minister said Rs 9.45 crore has been recovered, and 27 people have been arrested in connection with these cases, He was responding to a query from MLC K Pratap Simha Nayak in the Legislative Council.

To combat digital fraud, Parameshwara said the state has been disseminating information through Facebook, WhatsApp, and ‘cyber awareness’ messages.

He then urged the public to immediately report cyber fraud via the free helpline number, 1930.

The Minister mentioned that social media accounts and groups involved in selling “fake SIM cards” and bank accounts to “deceive the public” have been identified.

As many as 268 Facebook groups, 465 Telegram groups, 15 Instagram accounts, and 61 WhatsApp groups linked to these crimes have been deactivated thus far, Parameshwara said.

The government is also conducting awareness programmes in schools and colleges to educate the public about various kinds of cyber fraud, he added.