The rise in cyber fraud across the country has pushed Odisha into a more aggressive fight against organised digital crime. The recent action by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to block more than 21 lakh mobile numbers and blacklist nearly 1 lakh fraudulent entities has given the state a strong advantage in tackling its growing cybercrime network.
Although TRAI’s initiative is national, it holds special importance for Odisha. Police investigations have repeatedly shown that many fraud cases in the state begin with pre activated SIM cards, duplicate identity documents and mule bank accounts that help criminals hide their identity.
TRAI launched its campaign after receiving a sharp increase in public complaints through official platforms, enabling telecom operators to verify suspicious numbers and disable them permanently.
Odisha Police believes that stronger public participation through TRAI’s DND and Sanchar Saathi systems can help dismantle fraud chains at their starting point, rather than depending only on individual case investigations. Most cybercrime groups in the state rely on illegally issued SIM cards and misused bank accounts, making centralised action at the SIM level a powerful method for disruption.
Data placed before the Odisha Legislative Assembly shows how rapidly cybercrime has expanded. The state recorded 1,983 cases in 2022 and 2,348 cases in 2023, marking an 18.4 percent rise. Between 2021 and 2024, cybercrime numbers increased from 6,053 to more than 53,000. In 2025, over 28,000 cases have already been reported until June.
Financial fraud is the biggest contributor. Complaints rose from 18,081 in 2023 to 43,740 in 2024, which is a surge of more than 140 percent. The financial loss in 2024 stood at Rs 415.90 crore, which is a 400 percent increase in a single year.
Repeated police operations have shown a similar pattern across the state. Local mobile shops, small retailers and low cost kiosks have been found issuing pre activated SIM cards using forged documents. These SIMs eventually reach organised fraud networks. At the same time, many individuals are persuaded to open mule bank accounts for small payments between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000. These accounts are then used to move large amounts of money stolen from victims.
In one recent case, the Crime Branch arrested four people, including engineering and pharmacy graduates, for frauds worth Rs 1.70 crore. One victim alone lost Rs 1.45 crore to a fake online trading scheme that used several mule accounts to hide the trail.
Odisha Police is now focusing on two main enforcement areas. The first target is SIM vendors, with FIRs being filed for improper documentation, surprise checks at mobile outlets and monitoring of irregular SIM activation patterns. The second is aggressive tracking of bank accounts used for fraud, including quicker reporting of suspicious transactions, rapid freezing of linked accounts and network based profiling to identify larger groups.
The state is also improving monitoring of devices with tampered IMEI numbers and tracking calls made through VPN based masking tools that criminals use to avoid detection.
Citizens have been advised to use TRAI’s DND and Sanchar Saathi platforms to report suspicious numbers. They have also been warned not to share their SIM cards, not to lend or sell bank accounts and to avoid schemes that offer money for opening new accounts.
TRAI’s action has become an important boost for Odisha. The crackdown on identity masked SIM cards and mule accounts can weaken the base of cybercrime networks. With stronger public reporting and closer coordination between Odisha Police and telecom operators, the state could break several long running fraud operations at their root.
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