Lockdown Effect: Ghaziabad Witnessed 200 % Rise In Cyber Crime

GHAZIABAD: During the Covid lockdown, when people were forced to stay inside their homes and rely on online sources for their daily needs, cybercrime peaked in Ghaziabad, with the majority of crimes involving bank or credit and debit card fraud.

According to data, there has been a more than 200 per cent increase in the last two years. Even during the first Covid wave, cybercrime in Ghaziabad increased by nearly 75% during the lockdown. In 2019, during March and June, a total of 762 cases of cyber frauds were reported in Ghaziabad while the figures were 940 in 2020 when the first Covid wave hit the nation, in the same period.

However, by 2021, the figure has risen to over 1,520 in the same period. According to cops, gangs based in Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and some Nigerian operatives are actively duping people in the Delhi-NCR region.

A senior police officer said cyber criminals took advantage of people turning to the internet even for basic necessities, and some regional gangs grew up as well. Despite advisories and warnings, people fall for offers, lucrative or other modus operandi of cyber criminals.