Cyber fraudsters on prowl in J&K; over 800 cases registered in 5 years with losses crossing Rs 1 crore
STC NEWS DRSK
SRINAGAR, JULY 21 (STC): Jammu and Kashmir is proving a green pasture for cyber fraudsters as the official figures from the Ministry of Finance reveal a worrying rise in cyber and financial fraud cases over the last five years. The official reports state that more than 830 cases were reported with financial losses exceeding Rs 1 crore.
The figures were shared in a written reply by Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The data shows that as digital transactions increase across the country, frauds related to online payments, mobile banking, and digital lending have also gone up, including in J&K.
According to the official year-wise data, 105 fraud cases were reported in 2020-21 with losses of Rs 0.36 crore and no recovery. In 2021-22, the number of frauds dropped to 76, with Rs 0.14 crore lost and no amount recovered. The following year, 2022-23, saw 66 cases and losses of Rs 0.22 crore, of which only Rs 0.11 crore was recovered.
However, the numbers rose sharply in 2023-24, with 370 cases registered, although the total loss reported stood at Rs 0.15 crore and no recovery was made. For the financial year 2024-25 (up to the date of reporting), 215 frauds have already been recorded, with losses of Rs 0.21 crore and recovery of only Rs 0.01 crore.
In total, Jammu and Kashmir reported 832 cyber and digital financial frauds between 2020 and 2025. The cumulative financial loss stands at Rs 1.08 crore, while the total amount recovered over these five years is only Rs 0.12 crore, reflecting a poor recovery rate of just over 10 percent.
The reply in Parliament also stated that ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are state subjects as per the Constitution. Hence, the responsibility to prevent and investigate such crimes lies primarily with the Jammu and Kashmir administration. The Central Government supports states and Union Territories through advisories and funds for capacity building.
(STC)
