Bengaluru: Karnataka has emerged as the second-best performing state in the country in freezing money lost to cyber fraud, with police successfully blocking ₹436 crore through bank lien-marking mechanisms, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.

Speaking after reviewing cybercrime response systems at the Police Wireless Headquarters on MG Road, Kharge said the state has significantly strengthened its fight against cybercrime through technology-driven interventions, dedicated investigation teams and improved public grievance mechanisms.

According to official figures, Karnataka police froze ₹436 crore out of ₹2,640 crore reported lost to cyber fraud, accounting for 17 per cent of the total amount. Maharashtra topped the list by freezing ₹548 crore out of ₹3,203 crore in reported losses, also achieving a 17 per cent recovery rate.

Between January and May 2026, the Police Wireless Unit received 10.33 lakh calls and registered 90,225 complaints. During the same period, citizens reported cyber fraud losses of ₹807 crore, of which ₹216 crore has already been blocked.

Kharge said the police department has adopted several measures to speed up cybercrime investigations and improve recovery of defrauded money. Dedicated bank follow-up teams have been created to immediately initiate lien marking of suspicious transactions and coordinate with financial institutions.

To strengthen cybercrime response capabilities, wireless personnel have been trained in cyber investigations, system administration and the use of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) platform.

Special liaison officers have also been appointed to coordinate with banks, obtain CCTV footage, facilitate FIR registration and assist victims in recovering blocked funds. In addition, 51 Police Sub-Inspectors and Head Constables have been deployed on the I4C platform to accelerate the blocking of fraudulent transactions.

The minister highlighted a series of technology-driven reforms introduced by the department, including a web-based complaint bot launched in 2025 and a WhatsApp complaint bot introduced in 2026, both aimed at improving public access to cybercrime reporting. An Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) now prioritises and routes complaints automatically, while callers whose calls are disconnected receive automated complaint links.

Kharge said Karnataka has emerged as a national leader in tackling cyber fraud and protecting citizens’ hard-earned money, while stressing the need to further modernise the police wireless communication network with advanced technologies.