Nagpur: India's largest public sector lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has reported over 30,700 fraud cases involving a staggering Rs 6,313.4 crore between April 2023 and March 2026, according to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The data, provided by SBI's fraud prevention and monitoring department, highlights the persistent challenge of financial crime despite efforts to strengthen detection systems.
West Bengal Emerges as Fraud Hotspot
The RTI response points to West Bengal as India's fraud hotspot, recording the highest number of fraud cases during this period at 3,426 incidents involving Rs 143.67 crore. Although SBI did not disclose comparable figures for other states, this concentration underscores regional disparities in fraud prevalence.
Declining Cases but Rising Average Loss
The data reveals a worrying paradox: while the number of fraud cases has declined, the average amount involved per fraud has increased. Cases fell from 14,717 in 2023-24 to 2,247 in 2025-26, yet the amount involved remained alarmingly high at Rs 1,745.23 crore in the last fiscal year alone. This suggests that fraudsters are targeting fewer but higher-value transactions.
Digital Channels Dominate Fraud Incidents
Digital payment platforms have become a major vector for fraud. UPI accounted for the highest number of cases at 12,868, followed by internet banking with 8,657 cases. Together, these two digital channels contributed to over 21,500 fraud incidents in three years, highlighting the risks of rapid digital banking adoption.
Cyber Frauds Remain a Significant Threat
Cyber frauds formed a substantial chunk of SBI's cases, with 23,580 incidents involving Rs 166.73 crore between 2023 and 2026. While cyber con figures have declined in recent years, experts caution that increasingly sophisticated techniques continue to pose serious risks to customers.
Employee-Linked Frauds on the Rise
The RTI response also reveals an uncomfortable reality: frauds involving SBI employees totalled 303 cases, causing losses of Rs 311.08 crore over the three-year period. Although employee-linked frauds fell from 114 cases in 2023-24 to 89 in 2025-26, the amount involved rose to over Rs 103 crore last year, indicating that internal threats remain a concern.
No Data on 'Digital Arrest' Scams
SBI admitted it does not maintain specific data on victims of the increasingly reported 'digital arrest' scams or the amount lost in such frauds, despite growing national concern. This gap underscores the need for better tracking mechanisms to combat emerging fraud types.
The data underscores how the rapid expansion of digital banking has opened new opportunities for fraudsters, making customer awareness, stronger cyber safeguards, and tighter monitoring systems critical in the fight against financial crime.
About the Author: Proshun Chakraborty is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience in civic and urban affairs reporting. Currently Editor-Civic Affairs at The Times of India, Nagpur, he leads coverage on municipal governance, public infrastructure, traffic management, RTO affairs, and urban policy shifts.
