Karnataka loses Rs 5,474 crore to cyber frauds in three years: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that over the last three years, people in the state have lost Rs 5,474 crore to cyber frauds, of which the police have managed to recover Rs 627 crore so far.
The minister was responding to a question from Sakleshpur BJP MLA Cement Manju in the Legislative Assembly.
"Cyber fraud has been increasing in recent times. In the last four years, about 52,000 cyber frauds have taken place in Karnataka, and the numbers are rising day by day," Parameshwara said.
He pointed out that the government had planned to curb cyber fraud by introducing an amendment to police laws. However, the All India Gaming Federation obtained a court stay on the amendment, and the matter is currently pending in the Supreme Court.
"The matter is listed for December 19," he added.
Parameshwara stated that while over 22,000 cyber fraud cases were filed in 2023, only a limited number were identified, leading to losses of Rs 873 crore, of which Rs 177 crore was recovered.
Cyber frauds in 2024 resulted in losses of over Rs 2,500 crore from around 22,400 cases, with more than Rs 300 crore recovered by authorities, he added.
For 2025, the minister said, cyber fraud cases have dropped to roughly 13,000 following government measures, with losses exceeding Rs 2,000 crore and recoveries of Rs 125 crore so far.
He described cyber fraud as a significant challenge not only for Karnataka but for the entire country.
Parameshwara also highlighted that Karnataka was the first state in India to create a dedicated cyber vertical headed by a Director General of Police.
"Karnataka is waging a big fight against cyber fraud, and efforts are ongoing to bring down the number of cases," he said, adding that the state currently has 43 cyber police stations under a central cyber command.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
