Cyber fraud losses in TN's Coimbatore cross Rs 87 crore in 2025, recovery below 10 pc

Coimbatore, Jan 6
Despite sustained cyber safety awareness campaigns by the Coimbatore city police and the Tamil Nadu government, residents of the city lost a staggering Rs 87.16 crore to cyber fraudsters in 2025, highlighting the growing sophistication of online scams and the challenges faced by law enforcement.

According to a release from the city police, the cybercrime wing received 9,960 complaints last year. Of these, 7,779 cases were related to online financial fraud, including phishing, fake links, malicious mobile applications, and social engineering scams.

While the total loss stood at Rs 87.16 crore, police were able to recover only Rs 7.65 crore, translating to a recovery rate of less than 10 per cent. Police arrested 60 people in connection with various cybercrime cases during the year, and eight of them were detained under the Goondas Act.

In comparison, the cybercrime police had arrested 50 offenders in 2024, with nine being detained under the same Act.

Officials said fraudsters continue to exploit trust in government systems and digital platforms to dupe victims. In one such case, a city resident received a WhatsApp message claiming to be a traffic violation notice and demanding payment of a Rs 1,000 fine.

The message included a link prompting the recipient to download an application resembling an official transport department app. Believing the message to be genuine, the victim downloaded the file. Within minutes, Rs one lakh was siphoned off from the bank account.

“I never imagined a simple message about a traffic fine could wipe out my savings. It looked completely authentic and came with official logos,” the victim later told police while lodging a complaint.

A senior cybercrime police officer said bank transaction trails and account details are crucial leads in cybercrime investigations.

“Timely sharing of information by banks is vital. Any delay slows down investigations and significantly reduces the chances of freezing or recovering stolen money,” the officer said.

The official also stressed the need for stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. “Many frauds are enabled by mule accounts created due to lax verification procedures. These accounts form the backbone of financial cybercrimes. Banks must tighten KYC checks while opening accounts,” the officer added.

Police urged the public to avoid downloading applications from unknown links, verify the authenticity of official messages, and report suspected fraud immediately to improve chances of recovery.