The cases of cybercrime nearly doubled in the Capital in 2022, according to the annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), with the police attributing the rise to innovative methods employed by fraudsters to gain access to the victims’ personal data.
A senior police officer said cybercrime cases have risen in proportion to the number of people using online platforms to make financial transactions, which have increased manifold over the years.
According to the ‘Crime in India’ report released on Sunday by the NCRB, 685 cases of cybercrime were recorded in the national capital in 2022, against 345 incidents reported in 2021 and 166 in 2020.
These cases include incidents of financial fraud, crime against women and children with regard to sexually explicit material, and deepfake content. A total of 128 such victims were women, the most among the 19 metropolitan cities for which data was collated. Moreover, 121 minor girls were also among the victims.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell IFSO) Hemant Tiwari told The Hindu, “With greater financial inclusion, digitisation of beneficiary data and increasing dependence on online transactions, fraudsters have moved from largescale snatching and pickpocketing to looting money through (website) link sharing and OTP frauds.” He added that the ease of reporting cases online has also enabled more people to register complaints against such fraudulent activities.
‘Elderly easy target’
According to another officer, elderly people are being increasingly targeted by fraudsters.
“Many senior citizens aren’t aware of using UPI (features) and they fall prey to online scams. We have deployed police personnel to pay regular visits to senior citizens to tell them about the dos and don’ts of using payment applications,” he said.
Mr. Tiwari said in several cases, nabbing an accused was comparatively easier than retrieving the defrauded amount as fraudsters were found to be using newer ways to cheat people.
Last December, a 65-year-old man lost all his savings to fraudsters who posed as Electricity Department officials. The police said they sent the man messages claiming that the power supply to his home would be discontinued and asking him to submit his personal details on a fraudulent application to avoid the action.
Mr. Tiwari said cases of deepfake videos and photographs are also on the rise. The officer said such cases require coordination with social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). They are required to issue legal notices through the Ministry of Home Affairs, which causes delays, he said.
Published - December 05, 2023 01:12 am IST
