Representative imageshowing types of cybercrimes.
Credit: iStock Photo
Cybercrimes nearly doubled in Bengaluru in 2023 compared to the previous year, data from the City Crime Records Bureau shows.
In 2023, Bengaluru city police took up 17,623 cybercrime cases, as against 9,940 cybercrime cases in 2022. The number of cybercrime cases in 2021 stood at 6,422.
However, detected/solved cases remained lower in 2023 at 1,271. The figure was 2,431 in 2022 and 2,257 in 2021. This clearly shows that crimes are becoming increasingly bloodless, occurring online.
Police say cybercrimes evolve fast with fraudsters discovering newer methods to cheat people.
A senior police officer pointed out that in 2023, a lot of cybercrimes involved new methods. “The development of technology has only increased cyber frauds. Fraudsters are discovering new ways to cheat people. This poses a big challenge in policing,” the officer said.
The officer, however, praised the Bengaluru police for adapting to the changed times. “In our city, we have dedicated cybercrime stations in each police division. We register even the smallest cyber fraud, including in cases of fraud emails. In contrast, police in many states still hesitate to take up cybercrime cases.”
Another senior police officer with expertise in cybercrimes said cybercrimes in Bengaluru were registered not only in the dedicated cybercrime police stations but also in law and order police stations.
The officer underscored that the evolving nature of cybercrimes posed challenges in solving last year. “Deciphering some of the cybercrimes has been very difficult for us,” he added.
Other reasons for the increase in cybercrimes include the development of a cyber tipline and the registration of cases through the police helpline.