A growing wave of online fraud has pushed digital crime in the national capital to unprecedented levels this year.
In 2025, Delhi residents lost over ₹1,200 crore to cyber fraud, marking the highest single year digital financial loss ever recorded in the city. Law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and cybercrime researchers say the figures point to a fast evolving and highly organised digital crime ecosystem.
Data compiled by the Delhi Police Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit shows that the losses were spread across multiple types of scams. These included digital arrest frauds, stock market and crypto investment scams, phishing attacks, call centre based loan frauds, and money laundering operations. Investigators say criminals used fear, greed, and trust to target victims across all age groups and income levels.
Senior officials at the cybercrime unit said the scale of losses remains worrying despite awareness campaigns, bank alerts, and digital literacy programmes in schools and colleges. Fraudsters continue to change their methods and use new tools to stay ahead.
In 2025, around 24% of the stolen amount was frozen with the help of banks and financial institutions. This marked an improvement of 14 percentage points compared to 2024. However, the remaining funds were quickly moved through foreign accounts, layered digital wallets, and complex money trails, making recovery difficult.
Analysis by police shows that stock market and investment frauds topped the list of cybercrimes in Delhi during 2025. Victims were drawn in through social media advertisements, WhatsApp groups, and fake trading apps promising unusually high returns.
Digital arrest scams ranked second. In these cases, criminals posed as officials from agencies such as the CBI, ED, or local police and threatened arrest unless verification payments were made. Fake trading platforms, crypto laundering schemes, and instant loan app frauds also caused major losses for thousands of victims.
Investigations revealed that most fraud networks rely on mule bank accounts and mule SIM cards, often created using forged documents or unaware individuals. These accounts act as temporary channels before the money is siphoned off.
Under the CyHawk operation, Delhi Police have arrested over 1,000 cyber fraudsters. Improved coordination with banks, fintech firms, and telecom companies helped increase the recovery rate to 24% in 2025, compared to just 10% in 2024.
Former IPS officer and cybercrime expert Triveni Singh said, “This is not merely a technological crime; it is a crime rooted in human psychology.” He warned that scams would continue unless citizens clearly understand that no government agency conducts arrests or verification over phone calls.
The Future Crime Research Foundation described the figures as a national security warning. The group cautioned that cybercrime cases could rise by 30% to 40% in the next 2 to 3 years if current trends continue.
Police advise victims to act fast by calling 1930 or reporting at cybercrime.gov.in, and to avoid unknown links, messages, or threatening calls.
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