Ahmedabad witnessed a stark revelation in 2025 as data from Gujarat's cybercrime helpline painted a concerning picture of digital threats. The state received a staggering 1.61 lakh complaints, with a significant portion stemming from just three types of scams.
The Big Three: Dominant Cyber Fraud Categories
An analysis of the complaints shows that fake identity fraud, OTP fraud, and online shopping scams were the most rampant. Together, these three categories accounted for a massive 88,753 of the total 1.61 lakh complaints registered, representing nearly half of all reported cybercrimes in the state.
Breaking down the numbers, fake identity fraud was the top reported category with 45,152 cases. It was closely followed by OTP fraud, which saw 23,481 complaints, and online shopping fraud, which registered 20,123 cases. These top five fraud types, which also include investment and card fraud, were responsible for nearly 75% of the total reported financial losses, estimated at a colossal Rs 993.85 crore.
High-Value Scams and Emerging Threats
While some categories had lower volumes, their per-case impact was severe. Virtual assets fraud, for instance, was reported in about 318 cases but led to losses of Rs 10.61 crore, averaging a hefty Rs 3.34 lakh per case—the third-highest average loss among all categories.
Officials highlighted that visa-related cheating schemes are evolving. These scams now extend beyond promises of jobs or overseas settlement to include visitor visas. A notable case from October involved a Punjabi family and a Nadiad resident who complained to Navrangpura police about being cheated of Rs 78 lakh. Six individuals from Haryana and Punjab had promised them Canadian work and visitor visas. The victims were lured via social media, asked for "security deposits," and even issued token currency-note pieces, but no visas were ever delivered.
Other Notable Trends and Vulnerable Groups
The data revealed other patterns. Fraud types like courier scams, crypto fraud, electricity bill payment fraud, and social media fake ID cases each recorded below 100 incidents. Ten other categories had between 100 and 1,000 cases.
Job fraud (5,327 cases), booking fraud (6,946), and loan application fraud (7,494) fell in the 5,000-10,000 range. Sextortion calls prompted 1,157 complaints involving Rs 3.25 crore, with an average loss of Rs 28,097 per case. Authorities noted that most victims of sextortion were senior citizens and adults.
Matrimonial fraud, though low in volume with only 148 complaints, remained high in impact, siphoning off Rs 1.34 crore from victims. This continues to highlight how cybercriminals target emotional vulnerabilities for significant financial gain.
