Recently, cyber fraud has become a significant issue, prompting even the nation's Prime Minister to urge the public to safeguard themselves against cybercriminals. Amidst this, alarming statistics were unveiled by the government in response to a query in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, casting light on the unabated surge of cybercriminal activities and their ability to orchestrate substantial fraud effortlessly.
In the past four years, cybercriminals in Madhya Pradesh have orchestrated frauds exceeding 1000 crores INR.
Notably, former minister and current MLA from Raghogarh, Jaivardhan Singh, raised a question in the assembly regarding the number of cyber fraud incidents in MP from May 1, 2021, to July 13, 2025.
In its response, the Home Department disclosed startling facts: Approximately 1,054 crores INR were defrauded in cyber scams over four years, with the police managing to recover a mere 1 crore 94 lakh INR.
Data from the Home Department highlights an annual increase in cyber fraud cases. In 2021, 1,131 cases were registered. This number surged to 1,140 in 2022, slightly declined to 1,094 in 2023, but rose again to 1,193 in 2024. As of mid-2025, 579 cases have been recorded with half of the year still remaining.
'Ensuring Digital Safety in India': Jaivardhan Singh
Speaking to Aaj Tak, Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh remarked, 'While our Prime Minister encourages online transactions, over a thousand crores have been defrauded in the state over four years, with recoveries limited to just 1 crore 94 lakh INR.'
He further stated that the police force lacks the resources to combat cyber fraud effectively. The cyber wing does not possess the technological capability or resolve to facilitate timely recovery of funds. Thus, there is an urgent need to empower the cyber police in MP, ensuring people are shielded from such scams.
