Mysuru: Even as cybercriminals continue to target unsuspecting bank customers through online frauds in Karnataka, the state police have stepped up efforts to trace money trails and help victims recover their losses from scams such as investment fraud and digital arrests.Over the last three years, Karnataka police have recovered Rs 627 crore siphoned off by cyberfraudsters and initiated the process of returning the money to victims. Of this, around Rs 470 crore has already been refunded, while the remaining amount will be released after securing necessary court orders.Responding to a query during the recently concluded assembly session in Belagavi, home minister G Parameshwara said police recovered Rs 127 crore till Nov 15, 2025. In the previous year, recoveries stood at Rs 323.5 crore, while in 2023, police prevented losses amounting to Rs 177.6 crore. Steps are under way to ensure the recovered funds are returned to the victimsA police officer said recovering money lost to cybercrime is extremely challenging, as fraudsters rapidly route funds through multiple bank accounts and digital wallets, often converting them into cryptocurrency to avoid detection. In many cases, the money is also diverted to online gaming platforms. While banks can reverse some unauthorised card transactions, transfers involving cryptocurrency are largely irreversible.Police classify fraud-related money transfers into levels ranging from 1 to 10, depending on how many times the funds move between accounts. If the money remains in the fraudster’s account when a complaint is filed, it is considered a level-1 transaction, making recovery easier. As the money moves across more accounts, tracking becomes increasingly complex. However, recovery chances remain high as long as the funds circulate only within bank accounts, the officer explained.“Timely reporting by victims is crucial. It allows banks to freeze the recipient’s account quickly and increases the chances of recovery,” the officer said, urging citizens to be cautious while sharing bank-related information online.He added that recovery is typically possible in only 10–20% of cases, as scammers tend to move money swiftly across platforms.Cybercriminals often impersonate bank officials, police personnel, courier staff, or job recruiters to obtain OTPs and personal details. Many scams begin with a simple call or message and escalate into the use of remote access apps and instant transfers. Police have advised citizens to verify unknown numbers, never share OTPs, and report incidents immediately through the helpline 1930 or the portal cybercrime.gov.in.Assembly data shows that Karnataka lost a staggering Rs 5,474 crore to cyberfraud across 57,733 cases in the last three years.In Mysuru city alone, police said cybercrooks siphoned off about Rs 47 crore in 2025, of which around Rs 5 crore has been recovered so far.
