Pramesh S Jain
Karnataka has emerged as one of the leading states in the country in curbing cyber fraud by successfully freezing large amounts of money siphoned off by online fraudsters,Home, IT,Biotechnology and e-Governance Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.
During a visit to the Police Wireless Headquarters on M.G.Road in Bengaluru,the minister reviewed cybercrime response mechanisms and held discussions with senior police officials on measures to strengthen cyber fraud prevention and fund recovery.
According to officials,Karnataka police have successfully frozen Rs.436 crore out of the Rs.2,640 crore reported lost to cyber fraud, accounting for nearly 17 percent of the total amount.
Maharashtra remains ahead with Rs.548 crore frozen out of Rs.3,203 crore reported fraud losses.
The achievement places Karnataka second in the country in terms of the value of cyber fraud funds blocked through the banking system.
Kharge said the introduction of a web-based complaint bot in 2025 and a WhatsApp complaint bot in 2026 has significantly increased public access to cybercrime reporting services.
Between January and May 2026 alone,the cyber helpline received over 10.33 lakh calls and registered 90,225 complaints.
During the same period,cyber fraudsters allegedly cheated victims of Rs.807 crore.
However, authorities managed to freeze Rs.216 crore, nearly 27 percent of the defrauded amount,marking a record recovery effort.
To improve investigation and recovery processes, the department has constituted dedicated bank follow-up teams to ensure immediate lien marking of suspicious transactions.
Special training has also been provided to Wireless Wing personnel in cybercrime investigation,system administration and the use of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) platform.
Officials said liaison officers have been appointed to coordinate with banks,obtain CCTV footage,facilitate FIR registration and expedite the return of frozen funds to victims.
The minister highlighted several technology-driven reforms,including automated complaint registration through web and WhatsApp bots,IVRS-based call prioritisation and automated links for complainants whose calls get disconnected.
Additionally,51 police sub-inspectors and head constables have been deployed on the I4C platform to speed up the blocking of fraudulent bank transactions.
Kharge said Karnataka’s proactive use of technology and timely intervention by trained personnel have helped the state stay ahead in combating cybercrime and protecting citizens’ hard-earned money.
The meeting was attended by Director General and Inspector General of Police Dr.M.A.Saleem,Additional Director General of Police (Communications and Logistics) S. Murugan and other senior officials.
