Bengaluru loses Rs 558 cr to cyber scams in 7 months
Bengaluru: Cyber fraud is continuing to rise in Bengaluru, with fraudsters allegedly siphoning off an average of Rs 2.63 crore every day from residents through various forms of online scams. By the end of July, thousands of victims had reportedly lost Rs 558 crore to cybercriminals, highlighting the growing scale of the threat.
A total of 4,712 cybercrime cases have been registered in the city during the first seven months of 2026, averaging around 22 to 23 cases every day. With several months still remaining in the year, officials expect the number of cases to increase further.
Cybercriminals are using more than 30 different methods to target citizens, including promises of quick and high returns on stock-market investments, fraudulent online money transfers and so-called “digital arrest” scams. Software engineers, doctors, teachers, bank employees, senior citizens and homemakers have all reportedly fallen victim to such frauds.
In several cases, victims have borrowed money from banks, sold property or liquidated gold jewellery after being manipulated by fraudsters. Some victims have reportedly been pushed into severe financial hardship after losing their savings. However, increased awareness about the importance of reporting fraud quickly has helped police recover or secure a substantial amount of the stolen money.
Bengaluru police have managed to freeze Rs 359 crore in bank accounts linked to cyber fraud. Following legal procedures, Rs 191 crore has reportedly been returned to victims.
Police have urged victims to act immediately during the crucial “golden hour” aft er a cybercrime.
Victims should contact the police helpline 112 or the cybercrime helpline 1930 within an hour or 90 minutes of the fraudulent transaction. Providing details of the bank accounts to which the money was transferred can help investigators initiate the process of freezing the accounts quickly. Despite continued awareness campaigns by the police department, the Reserve Bank of India and the Central and state governments through television, radio and social media, citizens continue to fall prey to increasingly sophisticated cyber scams. Top five cybercrime categories in Bengaluru in 2026
Stock market investment frauds account for the highest number of cases, with 903 cases, followed by online money transfer fraud (656), OTP fraud (392), part-time job and review scams (385) and credit card fraud (234).
The figures underline the growing need for citizens to exercise caution while handling unsolicited investment offers, online job opportunities, financial requests and calls or messages seeking confidential banking information.