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Cyber fraud in Gujarat continues to surge despite heightened awareness campaigns and frequent crackdowns on local, national, and international rackets.
Between January and September 2025, cybercriminals targeted 1.42 lakh people across the state, defrauding 72,091 victims of a total of ₹678 crore, according to data from the Gujarat CID Cyber Cell.
Authorities said the remaining victims were able to save their money through timely alerts to the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930), which enabled the freezing of suspicious transactions.
But overall, the scale of financial loss underscores how pervasive cybercrime has become across Gujarat.
The data shows that Ahmedabad City reported the highest number of cybercrime calls (28,382), followed by Surat City (20,102) and Vadodara City (10,433). Smaller districts were not spared either: rural regions like Surat Rural (3,320) and Rajkot Rural (2,407) also recorded thousands of complaints.
Despite ongoing coordination between Gujarat’s CID Cyber Cell, district-level cyber units, and agencies in other states, fraudsters continue to adapt rapidly.
Officials said that scammers increasingly use social engineering, manipulating fear and trust to trap people.
In Ahmedabad, a retired government employee lost money in a WhatsApp cryptocurrency scam.
In Gandhinagar, a female doctor was “digitally arrested” for three months and defrauded of ₹55 lakh on the promise of high returns.
A 62-year-old man was tricked out of ₹66 lakh after clicking a fake investment link.
A 46-year-old man in Ahmedabad lost ₹57 lakh after being told his Aadhaar card was misused in Mumbai.
In Dahegam, a farmer was falsely told he was under CBI investigation and defrauded of ₹45 lakh.
Officials said such scams are no longer limited to cities but have spread to smaller towns and rural areas.
Police sources said many victims fall prey despite being educated, often because they trust calls or messages from unknown numbers or lack familiarity with online banking and verification systems. Retirees and individuals facing financial stress are especially vulnerable.
Fraudsters frequently use fake law enforcement identities to stage digital arrests, forcing victims to stay in contact for hours or days while being coerced into transferring money.
Many victims hesitate to report crimes immediately, fearing embarrassment or intimidation. Delayed complaints, officials said, allow scammers time to move stolen funds.
The current figures represent a marked jump from 2024, when Gujarat recorded 1.31 lakh cybercrime complaints on the National Cyber Crime Portal.
That year, police managed to return ₹108 crore to victims and freeze ₹285 crore in fraudulent transactions.
By contrast, the first nine months of 2025 have already seen 1.42 lakh calls and losses totalling ₹678 crore, pointing to an escalating threat that authorities and citizens are still struggling to contain.