Friday, 20 Jun, 2025
Image Source: Getty
The cases of cyber crime in the country are continuously rising as scamsters find new ways to dupe the people.
In a major breakthrough against organized cybercrime, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a vast interstate syndicate allegedly involved in sextortion, banking fraud, and a range of cyber scams. The network reportedly operated across multiple states including Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off received on May 24, authorities launched an operation in the New Ashok Nagar area, uncovering a suspicious consignment believed to contain synthetic bank account kits. The raid led to the arrest of three men, Ujjawal Pandey (30), Gaurav Barua (24), and Yug Sharma (19), who were found in possession of forged documents, pre-activated SIM cards, and digital tools used to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
Police said the group used these kits to bypass mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, enabling them to carry out untraceable financial operations. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 28 mobile phones, 30 SIM cards, two laptops, 15 debit cards, eight cheque books, and numerous bank account credentials. Investigators have traced a money trail amounting to over ₹5 crore.
Further investigation led police to a fake call centre operating in the Mundka area under the guise of a bank loan agency. The call centre was allegedly run by Dilshad Ali, a repeat offender previously booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act in Maharashtra in 2019. His associate, identified as Amit, is currently on the run.
At the fake call centre, seven more individuals were apprehended, including six telemarketers, most of whom were young, computer-savvy, and earning modest monthly salaries of ₹8,000 to ₹9,000. The group’s modus operandi involved duping victims with promises of low-interest loans, collecting their personal documents, and demanding processing fees before severing contact.
Building on inputs from the earlier arrests, police conducted another raid in New Ashok Nagar, which exposed a well-organized sextortion racket. Four more suspects were taken into custody. Officials confirmed the recovery of explicit videos and photographs used to blackmail victims.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and further arrests are likely as they continue to unravel the full extent of the cybercriminal network.
The cases of cyber crime in the country are continuously rising as scamsters find new ways to dupe the people. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Crime in India Report 2022, the total number of cases reported during the year was 65,893, showing an increase of 24.4 percent in registration over 2021 (52,974 cases). Crime rate under this category increased from 3.9 in 2021 to 4.8 in 2022. During 2022, 64.8 percent of cyber-crime cases registered were for the motive of fraud (42,710 out of 65,893 cases) followed by Extortion with 5.5 percent (3,648 cases) and Sexual Exploitation with 5.2 percent (3,434 cases). This was the highest number of cases of cyber-crime reported in a year till date. The chargesheeting rate in the cyber-crime cases was just 29.6 percent.
Source: National Crime Records Bureau
Telangana recorded the highest number of cybercrime cases in India in 2022, with 15,297 incidents reported, followed by Karnataka with 12,556 cases and Uttar Pradesh with 10,117. Notably, cybercrime in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh saw a sharp rise compared to the previous year, up from 8,136 and 8,829 cases respectively in 2021.
Cyber fraud, commonly referred to as internet or online fraud, typically involves deceiving individuals to extract money through digital means. Scammers often reach out via phone calls, emails, text messages, or other communication channels to collect sensitive personal data. In many cases, they send malicious links or software to gain unauthorized access to devices or networks, allowing them to steal confidential information like bank account details, credit card numbers, or identity credentials.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), cybercrime in India has been rising at a concerning pace. Cases nearly doubled from 27,248 in 2018 to 44,735 in 2019, with 2022 marking the year with the highest number of cybercrime incidents on record.
Fraud emerged as the most common motive behind cybercrimes, accounting for 32,230 of the 52,974 reported cases. Other prevalent motives included extortion (2,883 cases) and sexual exploitation (4,555 cases). In 2021, authorities were tasked with investigating 73,884 cybercrime cases. However, in 21,229 of those cases, the accused could not be traced or the evidence was insufficient, leading to their release.
These statistics highlight a troubling trend, not only is cybercrime increasing, but many cases remain unresolved. Moreover, the actual number of incidents is likely far higher, as many cases go unreported.
In response, the Indian government has implemented various initiatives to bolster cyber defense capabilities. These include creating comprehensive cybersecurity regulations, establishing robust legal frameworks, and enhancing the capacity of the judiciary to tackle digital crimes. Sector-specific Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) have also been formed to provide technical assistance and manage cybersecurity threats within distinct industries.
Despite these efforts, the continuing rise in cybercrime indicates that further action is necessary. Strengthening cyber awareness, increasing law enforcement capacity, and encouraging timely reporting of cyber incidents will be crucial in addressing this growing threat.
