India Faces Unprecedented Surge in Cybercrime

India is grappling with a significant surge in cybercrime, registering an average of more than 7,000 complaints per day up to May this year.

Rajesh Kumar, CEO of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, stated during a media address on Wednesday, “The majority of cyber fraudsters targeting India are believed to be operating from key locations in Southeast Asia, including Pursat, Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kandal, Bavet, and Poipet in Cambodia; Thailand; and Myawaddy and Shwe Kokko in Myanmar.”

This marks a continued upward trend, with around a 113.7 percent surge in cybercrime complaints from 2021 to 2022, and 60.9 percent from 2022 to 2023. The number of complaints has been steadily increasing over the past few years: 26,049 in 2019; 255,777 in 2020; 452,414 in 2021; 956,790 in 2022; and 1,556,215 in 2023. So far in 2024, a total of 740,957 complaints have already been lodged.

Most of these cyber fraud incidents this year are associated with fake trading apps, loan apps, gaming apps, dating apps, and algorithm manipulation. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) received a total of 4,599 complaints regarding digital fraud between January and April this year, involving a total of Rs 1,203.06 crore. Additionally, there have been 20,043 trading scams amounting to Rs 14,204.83 crore, 62,687 investment scams totaling Rs 2,225.82 crore, and 1,725 dating scams worth Rs 132.31 crore reported. In this regard, a total of 10,000 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed by various law enforcement agencies.

In response to these fraudsters, the I4C reported that nearly 325,000 mule bank accounts were frozen in the last four months due to the efforts of various law enforcement agencies and its team. Additionally, 530,000 SIM cards were blocked, and 3,401 social media accounts, including WhatsApp groups, were frozen.

This surge in cybercrime cases suggests an alarming trend and underscores the increasing challenges related to cybersecurity in the country. It also highlights the necessity for enhanced cyber defense mechanisms, public awareness, and robust legal frameworks to tackle the burgeoning issue of cybercrime. Victims are often contacted via normal calls from Indian numbers using call spoofing. The fraudsters also make calls posing as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Directorate of Enforcement, Reserve Bank of India, and other law enforcement agencies of states and Union Territories.