Hyderabad: Telangana cyber fraud losses fell 20.2 per cent to Rs 881.72 crore in January-September 2026, from Rs 1,104.42 crore in the same nine months of 2025, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) said.
The reduction amounts to Rs 222.70 crore. Over the same period, the amount placed under lien in bank accounts suspected of receiving stolen money rose 42.2 per cent, from Rs 183.11 crore to Rs 260.30 crore.
TGCSB Director Shikha Goel released the figures at the close of the bureau’s Cyber Security Awareness Month in October. Police credited the higher lien amount to victims reporting fraud faster and to quicker joint action by banks and investigators.
A lien freezes money in the receiving account so it cannot be withdrawn or moved. That gives police and banks time to trace it and return it to the victim. Fraudsters usually move stolen money through several mule accounts within minutes, so early reporting is often the only way to stop it.
The bureau called the fall an encouraging sign but said vigilance and prompt reporting were still essential. “Awareness cannot be tied to one campaign or month,” Goel said. She said the bureau would step up awareness work using advanced technology through the year.
The awareness month began on 1 October. Sessions were held at schools, colleges, public spaces and community gatherings, timed around Bathukamma, Navaratri and Dandiya events. Police units across the state held night flash walks on 30 and 31 October to close the drive.
In October alone, the bureau held 4,248 programmes with 2,78,428 participants. In all, 24,886 programmes have reached 15,48,905 people. The campaigns ran under titles such as “Online but Unafraid”, “Suraksha Ka Tiranga” and “Pause. Think. Verify” under the “Fraud ka Fullstop” banner.
Rs 10,178 crore lost nationally as Telangana cyber fraud losses fall
Losses across the country remain large. Data reviewed at a Union Home Ministry meeting showed more than 12.71 lakh financial cyber fraud complaints across India between 1 January and 30 June 2026. The alleged fraudulent transactions were worth over Rs 10,178.97 crore.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the most complaints, at 1.85 lakh. Maharashtra reported the highest losses, at Rs 1,637.66 crore.
Banks placed liens on Rs 2,968.85 crore in that period, about 29.17 per cent of the reported amount. Refunds over the longer run remain low. Between 2021 and May 2026, people reported cybercrime losses of about Rs 64,447 crore. Of this, Rs 10,718 crore was frozen, but only Rs 323 crore was returned to victims.
Within Telangana, Cyberabad has recorded sharp falls. Losses from cyber fraud in the commissionerate dropped to Rs 404.61 crore in 2025 from Rs 793.18 crore in 2024. Digital arrest cases fell from 1,002 to 117, though trading fraud still caused the biggest losses.
Investment schemes account for most of the money lost nationally. Central data released earlier this year showed that of Rs 19,812 crore in losses, 77 per cent went to investment frauds, 8 per cent to digital arrest scams and 7 per cent to credit card fraud. Sextortion, e-commerce fraud and malware-based fraud made up the rest.
Many of these scams are run from abroad. About 45 per cent of complaints reported in 2025 on the central fraud reporting system were traced to Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.
The bureau has asked anyone who loses money to report it at once on the 1930 helpline or at cybercrime.gov.in. It has also told residents never to share OTPs, PINs or passwords with anyone.