Over 6,800 bank fraud cases were reported in the financial year 2018-19 that involved an unprecedented amount of Rs 71,500 crore, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said. In comparison, 5,916 such cases involving Rs 41,167.03 crore were reported in 2017-18.

In a reply to a RTI query filed by a PTI journalist, RBI said 6,801 cases of fraud were reported by scheduled commercial banks and select financial institutions involving an amount of Rs 71,542.93 crore in the last fiscal. This accounts for a 73 percent increase in the fraud amount on a year-on-year basis.

The data further said that over the last 11 fiscal years, a total of 53,334 cases of fraud were reported by banks involving a massive amount of Rs 2.05 lakh crore.

"Cases of fraud reported to RBI are required to be filed by banks as criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies. The information in respect of action being taken or already taken is not available readily," the central bank said.

With inputs from PTI