Cybercrime Surge in Odisha: Over ₹260 Crore Lost to Fraudsters

Cybercrime is on the rise in Odisha, with official reports indicating that over ₹260 crore has been lost to fraudsters between June 2024 and December 2025. Despite government efforts to combat this issue, thousands of cases have been reported, leading to significant financial losses for victims. The Odisha Police have made numerous arrests and recovered some funds, but the scale of the problem remains alarming. This article delves into the statistics, recovery efforts, and the ongoing battle against cybercrime in the state, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 9, 2026, 18:56 IST

Rising Cybercrime Cases in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Despite ongoing initiatives by the government to enhance public awareness, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting residents, resulting in significant financial losses, as reported by official statistics.

In response to an inquiry in the Odisha Assembly, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi revealed that from June 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, a total of 4,238 cybercrime incidents were documented, with fraud exceeding ₹260.61 crore across various categories.

Among these cases, 2,482 were related to financial fraud, 1,689 involved social media scams, 14 were hacking incidents, and 53 pertained to other forms of cyber fraud.

CM Majhi highlighted that Odisha Police apprehended 868 individuals linked to cyber fraud in the past 18 months, including 172 for financial fraud, 638 for social media-related offenses, one for hacking, and 57 for various other cyber crimes.

Out of the ₹260.61 crore lost to cybercriminals, law enforcement has managed to recover a mere ₹61.36 lakh for victims and has frozen an additional ₹8.89 crore.

Furthermore, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) received 27,368 complaints from Odisha between June and December 2024, and 49,426 complaints in 2025.

According to the NCRP, fraudsters have swindled over ₹711.99 crore from unsuspecting victims during the period from June 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025.

CM Majhi noted that during the first half of this period, ₹2,47,87,268 was successfully returned to victims, while ₹23,64,30,768 was promptly frozen in suspicious bank accounts through collaboration with financial institutions.

In 2025, continued enforcement efforts resulted in the return of ₹5,31,45,886 to victims, while ₹68.71 crore was secured by freezing fraudulent accounts, safeguarding victims' interests.