Telangana recorded the highest number of cyber crimes in India in 2021, according to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), with 10,303 cases. The state also saw a 105 percent increase in cyber crimes between 2020 and 2021.
Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Assam followed with 8,829, 8,136, 5,562, and 4,846 cyber crime cases registered respectively.
Cases in Bengaluru Fall, Delhi Sees Rise
Among the cities, India's IT capital Bengaluru saw the most cyber crime in 2021 with 6,423 cases registered. However, this number has fallen compared to 2020 and 2019 which saw 8,892 and 10,555 cases respectively.
Here are the top cities in cyber crime, apart from Bengaluru:
Hyderabad - 3,303
Mumbai - 2,883
Lucknow - 1,067
Ghaziabad - 451
Delhi witnessed a 111 percent increase in cyber crime compared to the previous year, NCRB data showed. Most of the complainants were women or minors aged 12-17.
Over 356 cases of cyber crime were reported last year in which most of the offenders were booked for publication and transmission of sexually explicit content. Most of these cases involved online fraud, online harassment, and publication of explicit content.
"We have been registering more cases online after COVID. We have seen an increase in financial fraud and sextortion cases," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) KPS Malhotra told PTI.
"We not only take cases from complaints but also take cognisance of social media posts," he said.