Indians Lost Over ₹198 Billion to Financial Fraud in 2025, I4C & NCRP Data Show

Indian citizens have lost more than ₹529.76 billion to fraud and cheating cases over the past six years, according to data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a division of the Union Home Ministry. The figures highlight a sharp surge in financial crimes ranging from investment scams and digital arrest fraud to online cheating, banking fraud, and phishing.

Losses Peak in 2024–2025

The I4C and National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) reveal that in 2025 alone, financial fraud losses amounted to ₹198.1296 billion, with 21,77,524 complaints filed. In 2024, losses were even higher at ₹228.4949 billion across 19,18,852 complaints. By comparison, losses stood at ₹74.632 billion in 2023 and ₹22.9023 billion in 2022.

According to recent data from the Reserve Bank of India, online investment frauds in India during 2024–25 resulted in record losses of ₹350 billion.

Losses by State

Maharashtra reported the highest losses at ₹32.03 billion, followed by Karnataka (₹24.13 billion), Tamil Nadu (₹18.97 billion), Uttar Pradesh (₹14.43 billion), and Telangana (₹13.72 billion). Together, these five states accounted for more than half of the national total.

Other states also reported significant figures: Gujarat (₹13.1226 billion), Delhi (₹11.63 billion), and West Bengal (₹10.7398 billion). Manipur recorded the lowest losses at ₹167.4 million from 1,807 complaints.

Fraud Categories

I4C data reveals that of the ₹198.1296 billion lost in 2025:

• 77% stemmed from investment schemes
• 8% from digital arrest scams
• 7% via credit card fraud
• 4% through sextortion
• 3% in e-commerce frauds
• 1% from app or malware-based scams

In 2025, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), developed under the I4C, logged around 210 million cyber fraud complaints, with 45% traced to Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.