TN people lose over Rs 1K crore to cyber frauds in seven months

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has lost at least Rs 1,010 crore to digital fraudsters in the past seven months, a release from the cyber crime wing said. The wing, however, has frozen Rs 314 crore swindled by the conmen and returned a part of the money to victims after obtaining court orders. Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal showed that 1,27,041 complaints were registered in 2024, while 1,09,608 cases have been reported up to July in 2025. The release said fraudsters promised high returns on investments and swindled Rs 492.97 crore this year, while digital arrest accounted for Rs 97 crore. In 2024, victims lost Rs 1,673 crore, of which Rs 772 crore was frozen and Rs 84 crore was returned to victims. To speed up recovery, the Madras High Court has directed magistrates not to insist on FIRs, allowing refunds based on NCRP acknowledgement numbers. The cyber crime wing has also launched operations such as Thiraineeku and Hydra, leading to hundreds of arrests and detention of offenders.