Cybercrime Soars in Odisha, Police Struggle to Recover Stolen Funds

Cybercrime is on the rise in Odisha, with financial scams leading to substantial losses for victims. Despite efforts to combat this trend, including the establishment of a dedicated helpline and collaboration with banks, the Odisha Police have only managed to recover a small percentage of stolen funds. According to a white paper presented in the state legislature, the Odisha government has established a 1930 helpline to address cybercrime and fraud. This helpline helps victims file complaints and facilitates attempts to recover stolen funds. However, the data reveals that despite receiving 27,704 complaints between May 2021 and December 2023, only ₹2.62 crore (approximately $315,000) of the ₹85.67 crore (approximately $10.2 million) reported lost has been recovered. This translates to a recovery rate of just 3%. Although efforts have been made to strengthen the helpline, including relocating it to Bhubaneswar and introducing a multi-shift system to handle complaints, the success rate remains low. This highlights the challenges the police face in tackling sophisticated cybercrime methods.