Cybercrime in India Sees 24% Rise in 2025, Resulting in ₹22,495 Crore Loss

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India’s Cybercrime Landscape Sees 24% Spike in 2025, with ₹22,495 Crore in Losses

A recent report from the Ministry of Home Affairs reveals a significant surge in cybercrime incidents in India, with a 24% increase in cases reported in 2025 compared to the previous year. The total number of cases rose to 28.15 lakh, up from 22.68 lakh in 2024. Despite this increase, the total financial losses incurred by victims decreased marginally to ₹22,495 crore, down from ₹22,845 crore in 2024.

According to officials, the decline in financial losses can be attributed to the effective implementation of real-time fund blocking and coordinated efforts by banks and law enforcement agencies. This proactive approach has enabled the prompt freezing of funds in many instances, thereby mitigating potential losses.

Investment-related cyber frauds

Investment-related cyber frauds emerged as the most significant threat, accounting for a staggering 76% of the total financial loss. These scams, which include fake stock trading platforms, Ponzi schemes, and cryptocurrency traps, often promise unusually high returns and lure victims into parting with large sums of money. In many cases, victims have lost lakhs of rupees within a short span of days.

Digital arrest scams and sextortion

Digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate officials from agencies like the CBI, ED, customs, or police and coerce victims into transferring money, were the second-largest contributor to financial losses, accounting for 9% of the total. Sextortion, which involves the use of compromising images or videos to extort money from victims, accounted for 4% of losses and 19% of total cases, making it the second-most common cyber offense by number.

Cybercriminals’ methods

Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, using techniques like phishing, ransomware, identity theft, and social engineering to deceive victims. The use of multi-layered mule account networks and fake bank profiles enables them to move money across jurisdictions quickly, making it challenging for law enforcement agencies to track and recover stolen funds.

Government response

To combat the rising tide of cybercrime, the Indian government has strengthened its response framework through the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which links states, banks, and financial institutions. This initiative has enabled the sharing of 18.43 lakh suspect identifiers and 24.67 lakh mule accounts, facilitating the identification and freezing of suspicious transactions.

Additionally, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, launched in 2021, has been instrumental in saving ₹7,130 crore across 23.02 lakh complaints by enabling immediate reporting and prompt action. The number of dedicated cyber police stations has also increased to 459, up from 169 in 2020, with Uttar Pradesh leading the way.

Despite these efforts, experts emphasize that public awareness and faster reporting mechanisms remain critical in preventing cybercrime. The twin triggers of “quick profit” temptation and urgency pressure continue to be the most effective tools used by fraudsters, highlighting the need for stronger awareness campaigns and education programs to empower citizens to protect themselves against these threats.