Cyber fraud: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Dec 2: Cybercriminals in Odisha have defrauded victims of more than Rs 125 crore across various incidents over the past three years, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the state Assembly on Monday. The alarming figures were disclosed during a response to a query from a BJD MLA.
A total of 6,368 cybercrime cases were registered between 2021 and 2023, leading to the arrest of 1,388 accused. Despite these efforts, only a small fraction of the stolen money—Rs 2.77 crore—was recovered and refunded to victims during the period.
In 2021, 2,037 cases led to losses amounting to Rs 40.39 crore, with Rs 27.56 lakh refunded. The following year saw 1,983 cases and Rs 37.29 crore stolen, of which Rs 97.30 lakh was recovered. In 2023, 2,348 cases were reported, with losses peaking at Rs 47.94 crore, and Rs 1.52 crore refunded.
The arrests showed a year-on-year increase, with 425 in 2021, 441 in 2022, and 522 in 2023. Majhi emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthening cybersecurity measures to curb such crimes.
