New Delhi. Cybercrime cases in India rose by nearly 18 percent in 2024, with more than one lakh cases registered during the year, according to the latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau. The data showed that cases increased from 86,420 in 2023 to 1,01,928 in 2024, with fraud and financial scams emerging as the biggest motives behind cyber offences.
Fraud and Financial Cheating Lead Case Count
According to NCRB data, 73,987 cases were linked to fraud, financial cheating, computer-related offences and online scams. The report also recorded 3,190 cases linked to sexual exploitation, 2,488 cases involving extortion, 2,231 cases associated with causing disrepute and 1,850 cases connected to personal revenge.
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More than 15,300 incidents were placed under the “others” category. The report further stated that women were victims in more than 18,600 cybercrime cases, while minors were affected in 1,753 incidents.
Experts said the growing use of online banking, digital payments, social media platforms and e-commerce services has created more opportunities for cybercriminals to target users through increasingly sophisticated fraud methods.
Telangana Records Highest Number of Cases
Telangana emerged as the most cybercrime-affected state in 2024, registering 27,230 cases. This marked an increase of nearly 50 percent from 18,236 cases recorded in the state in 2023.
The report noted that Telangana recorded more than 70 cybercrime cases per one lakh population. Karnataka registered the second-highest number of cases at 21,003, while Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra were also among the worst-affected states.
Metropolitan cities also witnessed a steady rise in cyber offences. Nearly 35,000 cybercrime cases were registered in metro cities in 2024, compared with around 34,000 in 2023 and nearly 24,000 in 2022.
Investigators Face Heavy Case Burden
The NCRB report highlighted growing pressure on law enforcement agencies. Including pending investigations from previous years, agencies were required to handle more than two lakh cybercrime cases during 2024.
Final reports could be filed in only around 53,000 cases, while charge sheets were submitted in nearly 25,000 matters. Despite this, approximately 1.2 lakh cases remained pending with investigating agencies.
Courts are also facing increasing pressure due to cybercrime-related cases. At the beginning of 2024, nearly 75,000 cybercrime cases were already pending trial, and thousands of additional cases were forwarded to courts during the year.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said cybercrime has evolved into a major organised economic threat. He said financial frauds, digital arrest scams, fake investment schemes, fraudulent call centres, social media scams and AI-powered cyberattacks have increased the challenge for investigators. Experts advised citizens not to trust unknown links, suspicious calls, QR codes or lucrative investment offers without verification, and urged victims to report cyber fraud through the national cyber helpline 1930 and the official cybercrime reporting portal.
