Maharashtra tops list of cyberfraud losses in 2023

Cyberfrauds list: Maharashtra has topped the list of cyberfrauds in India in 2023 at Rs 990.7 crore, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In a written reply to the Parliament, the Ministry informed that Indians have lost Rs 7,488.6 crore to cyber fraud in the previous year.

Telangana follows Maharashtra in the list at Rs 759.1 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh at Rs 721.1 crore, Tamil Nadu at Rs 661.2 crore, Karnataka at Rs 662.1 crore and Gujarat at Rs 650.5 crore.

The numbers highlight the spread of cybercrime across India, with the immediate need for cybersecurity measures and public awareness campaigns. 

The home ministry said the ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting Management System’ received 11,28,265 complaints last year, with authorities urging people to remain vigilant and report dubious activity online. 

“The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, as part of the I4C (Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre), to enable the public to report… all types of cyber crimes, with special focus on…women and children," the ministry’s reply read. 

“Cybercrime incidents reported on this portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action…are handled by the state/UT law enforcement agencies concerned as per the provisions of the law. The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’, under I4C, has been launched for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by the fraudsters. Since (its) inception…more than Rs 1,200 crore has been saved in more than 4.7 lakh complaints," the MHA said.

A toll-free helpline, 1930, is operational to help citizens complain regarding online cyber incidents. Over 3.2 lakh SIM cards and 49,000 IMEIs have been blocked by the central government as reported by the police.