Bhubaneswar: Cybercrime is on a rapid and alarming rise in Odisha, with the number of reported incidents increasing almost ninefold in just four years, according to a recent statement by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar in the Rajya Sabha.
The data reveals a staggering jump from 6,053 cases in 2021 to over 53,000 in 2024. By the end of June this year, the number had already exceeded 28,000, pointing to a continuing upward trend.
This surge is mirrored at the national level, where cybercrime cases have increased from 452,000 in 2021 to over 20.26 crore in 2024. By mid-2024, the total number of cybercrimes in the country had reached approximately 1.25 crore. The financial impact is also immense, with citizens reportedly losing over ₹22,845 crore to online fraud in 2024.
According to data presented in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, financial fraud complaints in Odisha alone skyrocketed by over 140% in 2024, with 43,740 incidents reported compared to 18,081 in 2023. The total amount of money lost to these scams was more than ₹415.90 crore in 2024, a 400% increase from the previous year.
In response to this growing threat, both the central and state governments have initiated several measures. The central government has launched the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) in 2021. This system, along with the toll-free helpline number 1930, allows victims to report financial fraud promptly, which can lead to the freezing of fraudulent transactions and the recovery of lost funds.
So far, this system has helped save over ₹5,489 crore in around 18 lakh complaints. The government has also taken a strong stance against criminal infrastructure by deactivating 9.42 lakh SIM cards and seizing 2,63,348 IMEI numbers.
Furthermore, the government has focused on strengthening law enforcement capabilities. The ‘Cytrain’ platform has been developed to provide online training to police officers on cybercrime investigation and forensics.
Over one lakh officers have been trained and more than 82,000 certificates have been issued through this portal. The state government has also established a Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC), where banks, financial institutions, and telecom providers collaborate with law enforcement agencies to take coordinated action against cyber fraud.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, has announced plans to create a new cybercrime wing within the state police and establish cyber police stations in all districts to deal with new-age challenges like digital arrest and investment fraud. The state has already created 20 new Cyber Crime & Economic Offences (CC&EO) Police Stations to strengthen its response.
Twin City Police have reported a significant surge in cases, receiving over 7,200 complaints in 2024, resulting in a fraud amount of more than ₹82.53 crore. Police teams have been sent to several states to apprehend criminals, leading to the arrest of 38 individuals in 2024 alone.