Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh recorded 11,073 incidents of cybercrime in 2024, averaging about 30 cases daily, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This marks a steady rise over the past three years, with 10,117 cases in 2022 and 10,794 in 2023, reflecting an increase of 956 cases (9.4%) since 2022.
Year-on-Year Growth
From 2022 to 2023, cybercrime cases rose by 677, a 6.7% increase. Between 2023 and 2024, the rise was 279 cases, a slower 2.6% growth. Despite the deceleration, Uttar Pradesh ranked 16th among states and Union territories in cybercrime rate, with 4.6 cases per lakh population, below the national average of 7.3. Higher rates were seen in Telangana (71.1), Karnataka (32.2), Chandigarh (9.3), Puducherry (8.4), Kerala (8.2), and Maharashtra (7.8).
Financial Fraud Dominates
Financial fraud was the largest cybercrime category in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, with 4,469 cases reported. These included phishing scams, fake trading and investment apps, OTP frauds, digital arrest scams, fake loan offers, cryptocurrency cheating, and online banking fraud. Police noted that organized interstate cyber gangs are using fake customer care calls, cloned websites, mule bank accounts, and fraudulent payment gateways to target victims.
Sexual Exploitation Cases Surge
One alarming finding: Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cybercrime cases linked to sexual exploitation in the country, with 633 cases. This includes sextortion, circulation of intimate videos, fake social media profiles, and online blackmail using morphed photographs. Other motives included 1,204 cases for causing disrepute, 837 revenge-driven offences, 212 extortion cases, 117 emotional motives (anger, harassment), and 99 cases disrupting public services.
Cybercrimes Against Women and Children
The state recorded 1,392 cybercrime cases against women in 2024, ranking third after Karnataka (6,329) and Maharashtra (2,496). These included 562 cases of cyber stalking and online bullying, 25 related to cyber pornography, 10 involving cyber blackmailing and threats, and 793 other cyber crimes against women. Against children, 186 cases were registered, placing Uttar Pradesh third after Chhattisgarh (274) and Rajasthan (197). Among these, 124 involved cyber pornography and obscene sexual content depicting children, 59 were other cyber crimes against children, and one each involved fake profiles, cyber bullying, and exploitation through gaming apps.
Investigation and Charge-Sheeting
Uttar Pradesh began 2024 with 6,383 pending cybercrime investigations. With 11,073 new cases, police handled 17,456 investigations—nearly 48 per day. Despite the workload, the charge-sheeting rate was 54%, significantly higher than the national average of 31.9%. Charge sheets were filed in 6,644 cases, including 4,535 fresh cases from 2024 and 2,109 from previous years. The pendency rate stood at 29.5%, much lower than the national average of 61.6%, indicating faster disposal. However, 3,541 cases were categorized as “true but insufficient evidence, untraced or no clue,” highlighting challenges in tracing offenders using VPNs, encrypted apps, fake SIM cards, and overseas digital networks.
