How Maharashtra, Karnataka, TN, UP and Telangana lost over Rs 10,000 cr to cheating in 2025

An analysis of cyber frauds complaints of the last year revealed Maharashtra has recorded the highest monetary losses in cheating-related offences across the country. The western state topped the list with Rs 3,203 crore lost and 28,33,20 complaints recorded, followed closely by Karnataka at Rs 2,413 crore and 21,32,28 complaints. Tamil Nadu with Rs 1,897 crore and 12,32,90 complaints, Uttar Pradesh with Rs 1,443 crore and 27,52,64 complaints, and Telangana with Rs 1,372 crore and 95,000 complaints, rounded out the top five states worst hit by cheating and fraud-related offences, the data showed.

Taken together, these five states alone account for more than half of the national total, underscoring both the scale of financial fraud and the particular vulnerability of urban, digitally connected populations, an official said.

Overall, the total amount linked to reported financial fraud, investment schemes and cyber scams across India stood at Rs 19,812 crore. “Apart from the five top states, Gujarat has lost Rs 1,312.26 crore while Delhi lost Rs 1,163 crore. Rs 1073.98 crore was lost in West Bengal,” the data further showed.

In Manipur, Rs 16.74 crore was lost while around 1,807 complaints of fraud cases were received. “Out of Rs 19,812 crore, 77% was lost in the name of investment schemes, 8% lost through digital arrest, 7% via credit card fraud, 4% in sextortion, 3% in e-commerce fraud and 1% to app/malware based fraud,” data showed.

Data from the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) showed that around 21 crore cyber fraud complaints were received in 2025 with 45% of them originating from Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. “Complaints breakup shows that 36% are related to investment frauds, 27% to credit card fraud, 18% to sextortion, 10% to e-commerce, 6% to digital arrest, and 3% for app/malware based fraud,” it added.

Investigators say the sharp rise reflects several overlapping trends: Rapid digitisation, increased online transactions, and the growing sophistication of scam networks. “While urban centres remain the biggest targets, smaller cities and rural areas are also witnessing an uptick in such offences, particularly in fraudulent loan apps and investment schemes promising unrealistically high returns,” an official said.