Cyberabad cybercrime in 2025: 31,569 complaints but only 7,636 FIRs; Rs 404 crore losses

Hyderabad: Cybercrime complaints continued to rise in 2025, but the number of FIRs registered saw a notable decline in the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.

Focus on high-value frauds, smaller cases resolved through other interventions

This reflects a strategic shift by cybercrime police towards prioritising serious and high-value frauds while resolving low-value cases through quicker interventions, according to the Annual Crime Report-2025 unveiled by Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty.

Speaking to the media persons at his office here on Tuesday, Avinash Mohanty said the approach has resulted in faster freezing of fraudulent funds, higher refunds to victims and a sharp increase in arrests of organised cybercrime gangs.

Rising petitions, fewer FIRs

Elaborating further, he said that cybercrime petitions have steadily increased over the past three years, highlighting growing public awareness and reporting.

Here’s a breakdown of the data that shows the difference between complaints and FIRs:

In 2023

- Number of petitions: 5,983

In 2024

- Number of petitions: 11,914

In 2025

- Number of petitions: 31,569

- However, fewer FIRs registered: 7,636

The fewer number of FIRs indicates focused scrutiny before formal case registration.

He also noted that FIRs are increasingly confined to cases involving significant financial loss, organised fraud or repeat offenders.

Low-value fraud dominates complaints

The Cyberabad CP also pointed out that a large share of cybercrime complaints involved smaller losses. In 2024, as many as 17,916 petitions involved losses below Rs 25,000.

This number increased to 19,059 petitions in 2025. Such cases are often resolved through immediate account blocking, counselling and partial recovery, reducing the need for FIR registration and lengthy investigations, he added.

Part-time job and trading fraud lead

Avinash Mohanty said that the analysis of fraud patterns shows part-time job fraud and trading fraud continue to top the list, though numbers declined in 2025.

Part-time job fraud cases

3,267 cases in 2024

2,079 cases in 2025

Trading fraud cases

1,686 cases in 2024

1,256 cases in 2025

Other frauds such as smishing, vishing calls, advertisement fraud and customer care fraud also showed a downward trend, reflecting improved awareness and enforcement.

Digital arrest fraud sees sharp fall

One of the most significant declines was recorded in digital arrest fraud cases. After a spike of 1,002 cases in 2024, the number fell dramatically to 117 cases in 2025.

Correspondingly, financial losses dropped from over Rs 80 crore in 2024 to about Rs 15 crore in 2025. He attributed the decline to sustained awareness campaigns, rapid response teams and swift freezing of suspect accounts.

Losses reduce, refunds improve

Despite the rise in complaints, total financial losses in cybercrime cases dropped substantially in 2025.

Losses, which peaked at Rs 793.18 crore in 2024, declined to Rs 404.61 crore in 2025. At the same time, refunds to victims improved significantly, with over Rs 20.75 crore refunded in 2025 alone.

Cumulatively, Rs 45.51 crore has been refunded to cyber fraud victims over the last three years, the CP said.

Focus on Proceeds of Crime (POC)

Cyber Crime units intensified efforts to identify and freeze Proceeds of Crime (POH).

In 2025, authorities froze Rs 54.67 crore, ensuring that fraudulent funds were blocked before being siphoned off. Officials said early intervention has played a key role in improving recovery rates.

Major cybercrime crackdowns in 2025

Several organised cybercrime networks were busted during the year:

1. Police arrested five accused involved in supplying nearly 200 mule bank accounts across multiple states, seizing passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books and mobile phones.

2. In another case, four accused were arrested for promoting illegal online cricket betting through Telegram and WhatsApp platforms.

3. A separate operation led to the arrest of nine persons running a cyber call centre fraud in Hyderabad, while multiple mule account fraud networks were also dismantled.

High-value refunds bring relief to victims

In one trading fraud case, a victim who lost Rs 77.20 lakh received a refund of Rs 77 lakh, marking near-total recovery.

In another fake customer care fraud case, Rs 56.91 lakh was refunded out of a total loss of Rs 74.40 lakh, demonstrating improved financial tracking and coordination with banks.

Arrests nearly double in two years

Arrests in cybercrime cases have risen sharply.

In 2023, police arrested 359 persons in 182 cases. Arrests increased to 534 in 2024 and surged to 917 arrests in 539 cases in 2025.

The Cyberabad CP said enhanced inter-state coordination, real-time financial intelligence and better digital forensics have strengthened enforcement outcomes.

Shift towards prevention and swift recovery

Avinash Mohanty also emphasised that the current strategy focuses on prevention, quick response, and victim relief, rather than merely registering cases.

With improved awareness, faster POC freezing, and targeted action against organised syndicates, authorities believe cybercrime losses can be further reduced in the coming years, he added.