Bengaluru: Karnataka could soon see a dramatic jump in the number of cybercrime cases registered as FIRs — not necessarily because cyberfraud itself is increasing, but because a larger number of existing complaints could formally enter the criminal justice system.

The change could follow the implementation of the e-Zero FIR system, a protocol proposed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to make the registration of FIRs in cyberfraud cases faster and more streamlined.

Karnataka is currently working towards implementing the system. While it could remove some of the difficulties victims face while approaching police stations, officials are also concerned about its impact on an already stretched cybercrime investigation machinery.

According to Home Department sources, the number of registered cybercrime cases in the state could increase by five to six times once the system is fully implemented.

The eventual scale of the increase, however, is expected to depend largely on the financial-loss threshold prescribed for mandatory FIR registration.

A simpler route for victims

For cyberfraud victims, the proposed system could address one of the most frustrating stages of the process — getting a formal FIR registered.

Victims of online fraud often first approach the cybercrime helpline after losing money. Moving from a complaint to a formal FIR can involve additional procedures and visits to police stations.

A recent Bengaluru cybercrime victim, who did not wish to be identified, said the proposed system could make the process considerably easier.

“Stepping into a police station and registering an FIR comes with its own challenges, including waiting for several hours. e-Zero FIRs may help streamline FIR registration,” the victim said.

The system could therefore bring more complaints into the formal policing process, giving victims a clearer route towards investigation and legal action.

But the numbers could explode

The same development is raising concerns within the Home Department.

Karnataka and Bengaluru have consistently figured among the places reporting large numbers of cybercrime complaints. Since 2022, the state has received more than two lakh complaints every year through the cybercrime helpline, according to official data.

Officials fear that if a substantially larger proportion of these complaints results in FIRs, investigators could face a workload far beyond their existing capacity.

“If the e-Zero FIR proposal comes into play, the number of cybercrimes registered in Karnataka will be at least five to six times the current figure, leading to an immense burden on the law enforcement system,” sources said.

The distinction is important: a rise in registered FIRs would not necessarily mean that cyberfraud has suddenly increased by the same magnitude. It could partly reflect a change in how complaints are converted into formal criminal cases.

The Rs 1 lakh question

The financial threshold for registering an FIR could become a key factor in determining the scale of the change.

The Centre has proposed a threshold of Rs 50,000, while Karnataka has agreed to a Rs 1 lakh cut-off, according to Home Department sources.

Under the proposed arrangement, cyberfraud complaints involving losses below the applicable threshold would not result in an FIR.

That, however, leaves an important question unanswered: what formal legal remedy will be available to victims who lose smaller amounts to online fraud?

For many individuals, even a loss of a few thousand rupees can be significant. Excluding such cases from the FIR system could create a gap between the ease of reporting a fraud and the availability of a full criminal investigation.

Fighting fraud before the money disappears

Karnataka’s cybercrime response has increasingly focused not only on registering cases but also on stopping the stolen money from moving further through the banking system.

The state’s cybercrime helpline works by attempting to block the flow of fraudulently obtained funds as quickly as possible.

Cybercriminals frequently move stolen money through multiple bank accounts, commonly referred to as mule accounts, making it difficult for investigators to trace and recover the funds.

“The helpline works by blocking the flow of the victim’s money through layers of bank accounts, often called mule accounts. The process involves placing liens or blocks on transactions that siphon off the swindled amount. Occasionally, entire accounts end up getting blocked through a process called ‘freezing’,” a senior officer said.

This financial-intervention mechanism has become a crucial part of the state’s effort to prevent cyberfraud proceeds from disappearing through layers of accounts.

A new test for Karnataka’s cybercrime machinery

Karnataka recorded a significant decline in reported cybercrime in 2025, with officials attributing the reduction partly to intensified efforts by the Karnataka Cyber Command to dismantle mule-account networks, along with increased public awareness.

The proposed e-Zero FIR system could now change the way those numbers are recorded.

A sharp rise in FIRs could provide investigators with a larger pool of cases and give victims a more direct route into the criminal justice system. At the same time, it could place enormous pressure on police personnel, investigators and the courts unless the expansion in case registration is matched by additional resources.

For Karnataka, therefore, the challenge will not simply be to make filing an FIR easier.

It will be to ensure that a system designed to give cybercrime victims quicker access to justice does not overwhelm the very machinery expected to deliver it.