Residents of Kochi city have lost ₹90 crore in 118 cases of alleged cyber financial fraud reported in 2025 in different police stations within Kochi city limits, according to police data.
The year saw a drop in the number of cases from 335 registered in 2024. The amount defrauded in that year was almost similar at ₹98 crore.
While 32 suspects were arrested in 2025, the previous year saw 34 landing in the police net, as per available data.
According to police sources, it is estimated that scammers have duped victims of ₹777 crore from across the State in 2025. The Kochi city figure makes up 11.5% of it. The cases registered in 2025 include the alleged stock trading firm in which a pharmaceutical entrepreneur was duped of ₹25 crore. It is among the major cyber financial fraud cases being investigated by the Kochi city cyber police, along with two incidents of loss of ₹4 crore each, and one of ₹1.5 crore.
Investigators cited the alleged involvement of foreign nationals and cryptocurrency players as a major hurdle in arresting the perpetrators. “In most of the cases, after three or four layers of money transactions, the proceeds of a crime are converted into cryptocurrency. Then it becomes difficult for the police to trace the money and the offenders. In such cases, only a part of the network could be operating from within the State or the country, mostly those supplying mule accounts for the transaction of the illegally obtained money and those who have rented out such accounts. In several cases, including the ₹25 crore case, the police were able to track and nab such people but could not go beyond that,” an officer involved in cyber investigations said.
Most of the cases are related to digital arrest scam, in which fraudsters posing as police officers force victims transfer huge amounts of money from their bank accounts after convincing them of their bank accounts being linked to serious crimes, and share trading scams promising extraordinary returns on investments.
Cases relating to trading scams in 2025 include an incident in which a former Kerala High Court judge was allegedly cheated of ₹90 lakh on the promise of a profit of 850%. The police were able to retrieve ₹80 lakh in the case as the crime was reported immediately. “Money lost in such frauds can often be saved if the crimes are reported to the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930 in India) or portal (cybercrime.gov.in) within 24 hours. The chances of freezing the accounts involved in a crime before withdrawing the money are high if the cases are reported within six hours, known as the “golden hour”. However, it happens only in a few cases as people are unaware and fail to give the proper required information while reporting an incident,” the officer said.
Published – January 18, 2026 10:06 pm IST
