Over Rs 40 crore lost to cyber crimes in 2024 in Mangaluru

Over Rs 40 crore lost to cyber crimes in 2024 in Mangaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, December 30, 2024: Though the number of cybercrime cases reported was less due to effective preventive action and increased awareness among the public in Mangaluru Commissionerate limits, the year 2024 saw the largest financial impact, with over Rs 40.46 crore lost, Rs 9.32 crore frozen, and Rs 2.55 crore released to the complainant, said Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal.

Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal said that the year 2023 saw a significant rise in the number of cases registered at CEN Police Station, while other Police Stations experienced a steady increase every year. In 2023, CEN police station had 196 cases compared to 72 cases in 2024.

The total amount lost to cybercrimes in 2022 is Rs 61 lakh, while Rs seven lakh was frozen and Rs six lakh was released to the complainant.

In 2023, Rs 9,83,56,130 was lost, Rs 6,29,82,359 was frozen and Rs 1,17,16,681 was released to the complainant. Between 2022 and 2024, the CEN police station registered a total of 313 cases. There were 55 cases in 2022, 196 in 2023, and 62 in 2024.

Other police stations registered 120 cybercrime cases during the same period, with eight cases in 2022, and 40 in 2023. He said that investment frauds accounted for 50 per cent of the reported cases and approximately 75 per cent of the total amount lost. A total of 67 cases with Rs 30.3 crore lost was reported during the year followed by digital arrest scams involving courier and customs with 25 cases and losses of Rs 7.1 crore. Job frauds accounted for eight cases, resulting in loss of Rs 1.2 crore, while matrimonial frauds saw four cases with Rs 60.4 lakh lost. Online shopping frauds caused losses of Rs 5.9 lakh across three cases, and share market frauds resulted in Rs 41.96 lakh loss in five cases. Additionally, advertisement fraud accounted for Rs 50,000 in losses, KYC fraud caused Rs 8.35 lakh in losses, and other frauds collectively led to a loss of Rs 63.28 lakh, he explained.

About 5,498 complaints were reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal, of which 215 were converted into FIRs. On the detection of cases, the commissioner said that the detected cases saw a sharp increase in 2023, particularly at other police stations, with a steady rise in CEN police stations in 2024. Out of the 42 persons arrested this year, 15 were from Karnataka, while 27 were from other states, including 11 from Kerala and nine from Tamil Nadu.

A total of 217 awareness programmes were conducted across the jurisdiction. A comprehensive campaign to combat cybercrime has been launched, focusing on raising awareness and prevention among all sections of society. Programmes were conducted at various levels: Police Station level, Beat level, Sub-division level, and Commissionerate level, ensuring widespread reach, he added.