Maharashtra has just achieved its biggest cybercrime breakthrough yet — crossing the Rs 1000-crore mark in cumulative recoveries for the first time — even as online fraudsters duped citizens of Rs 8058 crore over the past five years. Officials say the newly achieved recovery milestone signals a sharp shift in the state’s cyber-fraud response system, driven by faster reporting, real-time freezing of mule accounts, and the rollout of the 1930 emergency helpline.

Cybercrime complaints ballooned from 3523 in 2021 to more than 2.32 lakh in 2024, reflecting the sweeping spread of phishing cons, investment scams, digital-arrest intimidation rackets, fake loan apps and impersonation syndicates across Maharashtra. Recoveries, however, have shown an equally dramatic rise — from just Rs 0.53 crore in all of 2021 to Rs 471.78 crore from January to October 2025.