Bengaluru, Jun 19 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday said the state has achieved notable success in safeguarding citizens’ money from cyber fraud, with police freezing Rs 436 crore in bank accounts.
The Minister visited the Police Wireless Headquarters on M G Road here where he inspected the facilities, and held discussions with senior officials.
Karnataka has achieved significant success in freezing fraudulently transferred funds in bank accounts through the Lien Mark process, said Kharge, who also holds the portfolio of Information Technology, Biotechnology, and e-Governance.
“Karnataka Police have achieved notable success in protecting the public’s money by freezing funds obtained through cyber fraud. While Maharashtra managed to block Rs 548 crore (17 per cent) out of Rs 3,203 crore reported as cyber fraud, Karnataka successfully froze Rs 436 crore (17 per cent) out of Rs 2,640 crore reported, thereby safeguarding public funds,” he said.
According to a statement by Kharge’s office, the minister also informed that since the introduction of complaint registration facilities through a web platform in 2025 and via WhatsApp chat in 2026, there has been a significant increase in the number of citizens approaching the Wireless Unit with complaints.
In the first five months of 2026 (January–May) alone, the unit received 1,033,352 calls and registered 90,225 complaints. During this period, cyber fraud amounting to Rs 807 crore was reported, of which Rs 216 crore (27 per cent) has already been blocked, setting a record, he said.
The minister stated that the Police Department has undertaken several key initiatives to accelerate cybercrime investigations and fund recovery efforts.
According to him, Separate Bank Follow-up Teams have been formed to immediately freeze cyber-fraud funds in bank accounts through lien marking. Special training has been provided to Wireless personnel on cybercrime investigation, system administration, and the use of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) platform.
Special Liaison Officers have also been appointed to maintain continuous coordination with banks, request CCTV footage, facilitate the return of blocked funds to victims, and assist in registering FIRs, he said.
To make complaint registration easier for the public and automate processes, he highlighted that the department has recently introduced several technological improvements. A web-based Complaint Bot was launched in 2025, followed by a WhatsApp Complaint Bot in 2026.
Overall, owing to the timely intervention of technology and efficient officers, the Minister’s office said that Karnataka has emerged as one of the leading states in the country in dismantling cyber-fraud networks and protecting citizens’ hard-earned money.
The minister further stated that the police wireless system currently in use should be strengthened further with modern technology. PTI AMP ROH
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