Gujarat sees 30% rise in cybercrime; fraudsters stay a step ahead of police

Despite sustained awareness campaigns and coordinated efforts by the Gujarat Police and government agencies, cybercriminals continue to outpace law enforcement. In the last five years, cybercrime cases in the state have surged by a worrying 30%, exposing glaring gaps in public digital safety.

By September 2025 alone — the first nine months of the year — cyber fraudsters siphoned off ₹1,011 crore from unsuspecting Gujaratis. Data shows that the biggest chunk of fraud occurred through high-return investment scams, duping 9,240 people of ₹397 crore. Fake identity fraud, OTP scams, and card frauds have also risen sharply, with 27,816 victims losing ₹137 crore.

Gujarat appears to have turned into a “free field” for online fraud. In 2020, the state recorded an average of 155 online complaints per day. In 2025, that number has skyrocketed to 521 complaints daily, amounting to 21 complaints every hour. Over five years, citizens have filed 4.81 lakh complaints, losing ₹3,387 crore in total. The only consolation: the average loss per complaint has not surged drastically — from ₹70,313 in 2020 to ₹71,204 in 2025.

Experts warn that senior citizens have become easy targets, especially pensioners and those living alone. Fraudsters, posing as police or CBI officials, instill fear, impose ‘digital house arrest,’ or force victims to download suspicious apps — often wiping out their lifelong savings.

Police officials maintain they are actively working on prevention, awareness, and recovery. But they admit that with over 50 types of recurring scams — job scams, cyber slavery, online betting, and loan fraud among them — citizens must remain alert. “Unless people themselves stay aware, avoiding cybercrime is nearly impossible,” an officer said.