Bihar has emerged as one of India’s leading states for cybercrime complaints and FIR filings, alongside Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, according to data cited in the report.
Four Bihar districts — Nawada, Nalanda, Patna and Sheikhpura — feature among India’s top 15 cybercrime hotspots. Nawada ranks second, Nalanda fourth, Patna seventh and Sheikhpura 15th.
Between January 2023 and July 2026, cybercriminals allegedly defrauded 3,35,807 people in Bihar of Rs 1,490 crore. State police were able to freeze Rs 299 crore of the amount, according to the data.
Cybercrime Complaints Rise Sharply
The number of cybercrime complaints in Bihar has increased rapidly in recent years.
The state recorded 68,931 complaints in 2024, followed by 1,17,812 complaints in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026 alone, 1,14,918 complaints were filed.
The figures indicate that Bihar’s cybercrime challenge has expanded beyond isolated online scams, with several districts developing distinct patterns of digital fraud.
Ten Districts Identified as Cybercrime Hubs
Ten of Bihar’s 38 districts have emerged as significant cybercrime hubs, either as points of origin for fraud or as major target areas.
Patna has reported cases involving digital arrests, investment fraud, UPI scams and phishing.
The Nalanda-Nawada-Sheikhpura belt has been associated with OTP scams, fake bank calls, job and KYC fraud, fake customer care accounts and phishing.
Other districts have reported different patterns. Jamui has seen bank KYC and lottery scams, while Muzaffarpur has reported social media and UPI fraud. Vaishali has faced financial fraud, Darbhanga online banking fraud, Sitamarhi SIM-swap schemes and West Champaran digital payment scams.
A Ministry of Home Affairs response in Parliament in 2024 identified Nawada, Nalanda, Patna and Sheikhpura among the primary origins of suspect mobile numbers reported to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal between January and July 2024.
Rural Areas Face Growing Digital Risks
Bihar’s predominantly rural population is increasingly exposed to online fraud as digital payments, UPI, QR codes and mobile banking expand beyond urban centres.
According to the 2011 Census, 88.71% of Bihar’s population lived in rural areas.
The expansion of digital financial services has created new points of vulnerability around banking correspondents, Customer Service Points and local digital kiosks.
Rural residents, particularly young people, are increasingly targeted through online job, gaming, investment and loan scams, according to the report.
A Changing Cybercrime Landscape
Cybercrime in Bihar is also becoming more diverse, with fraud extending from financial scams to social media impersonation, phishing and other forms of online deception.
The data points to a growing challenge for law enforcement as the use of digital services expands across both urban and rural areas.
