Majority of Cyber Frauds Under ₹5 Lakh in Gujarat Resolved Without FIRs

Cybercrime in Gujarat is rising rapidly, surpassing many other forms of criminal activity. However, official data shows that only around 40% of victims manage to get an FIR (First Information Report) registered. The majority of smaller fraud cases — those involving sums below ₹5 lakh — are typically addressed through online complaint systems aimed at securing refunds, rather than through formal police investigations.

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Currently, cyber frauds involving less than ₹5 lakh aren't immediately treated as police cases. Victims are encouraged to either call the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or report the incident on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Authorities then attempt to trace and freeze the stolen funds for potential recovery.

If a refund isn't processed within a specific time frame, the complaint is passed on to the local police station for further action. However, only cybercrime units in major cities and districts handle cases involving amounts over ₹5 lakh, which means smaller frauds often go uninvestigated. Experts believe this gap is contributing to the rising number of petty cyber frauds across Gujarat.

Despite ongoing awareness campaigns and financial safety initiatives, cybercrime continues to grow at an alarming rate across the country. While the central helpline and portal have enabled thousands of victims to recover stolen funds, many still don’t see a resolution.

Authorities say about 60% of complaints filed on the national portal lead to some form of follow-up, and around half of those result in partial or full refunds. Even so, nearly 40,000 victims in Gujarat each year are unable to recover their money, despite filing timely complaints.

When a refund isn’t possible within the expected timeline, the case is escalated to local police for FIR registration. However, many victims allege that complaints involving smaller amounts are often met with delayed or inadequate investigations.

Over 1.21 Lakh Cyber Fraud Victims in Gujarat in 2023

In 2023 alone, 1,21,710 cyber fraud complaints were filed from Gujarat via the national portal. Of these, only 49,220 cases progressed to the stage of formal FIRs.

Victims in the state lost a combined total of ₹650.53 crore to online scams last year. Authorities succeeded in freezing ₹156.9 crore, but this amount has yet to be fully refunded to the victims.

Officials say the goal of the current system is to provide quicker resolution through refunds and to reduce the load on law enforcement agencies. However, the increasing number of unresolved low-value frauds has raised concerns over the need for better follow-up, stronger investigation protocols, and greater accountability in cybercrime cases.