Karnataka's Cybercrime Challenges: Exploring 'Digital Arrest' and Emerging Trends

In Karnataka, 'digital arrest' scams led to Rs 312.5 crore in losses over three years. Criminals impersonated law enforcement, manipulating victims in coercive calls. Of the defrauded amount, only Rs 24.86 crore was recovered. This snapshot reveals Karnataka's fluctuating crime trends, including cybercrime, drug offenses, and police-related cases.

In Karnataka, residents have faced substantial losses due to a new criminal tactic known as 'digital arrest,' Home Minister G Parameshwara announced on Friday. Over the past three years, scammers posing as law enforcement officers defrauded citizens of Rs 312.5 crore using audio or video calls to intimidate them into transferring money online.

The data shared by the minister in a state Assembly report highlights alarming figures, with only Rs 24.86 crore recovered and Rs 18.33 crore returned to the victims. In the debut year of 2023, 147 cases led to Rs 16.66 crore in losses, skyrocketing to 874 cases with Rs 151.25 crore lost in 2024, and moderating to 293 cases with Rs 144.59 crore lost in 2025.

Although cybercrime cases overall have decreased in 2025, the report points to troubling trends in other areas, such as rising offenses under the POCSO Act and against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, alongside notable increases in drug-related and police-involved incidents.

(With inputs from agencies.)