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Karnataka has emerged arsenic the cybercrime superior of India, accounting for 25.57% of each registered cases successful the state successful 2023, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) information released connected Tuesday.
The State recorded 21,889 cybercrime cases, 20% much than Telangana, which registered 18,236 cases and has ranked second.
At the bosom of Karnataka’s cybercrime surge is Bengaluru. The IT hub unsocial accounted for 17,631 of the 21,889 cases reported successful the State successful 2023, making it the metropolis with the highest cybercrime incidence successful the country. Among metropolitan cities, Bengaluru reported the highest fig of cybercrime cases, contributing 51.92% of each cases crossed the 19 metros. Hyderabad came 2nd with 4,855 cases successful 2023. Bengaluru’s cybercrime complaint stands astatine an alarming 207.4 cases per lakh population, much than 7 times the nationalist average.
From 6,423 cases successful 2021 to 9,940 successful 2022, and present implicit 17,631 successful 2023 successful the city, the surge reflects the evolving cybercrime scenery and the vulnerabilities that travel with it. The information says that 2 large motives of the cybercrimes are fraud and intersexual exploitation.
In 2024, the cases accrued marginally arsenic the State recorded 22,468 cybercrimes. However, halfway done 2025, Karnataka recorded 7,293 cybercrime cases, astatine slightest 2,000 less than during the aforesaid play successful 2024 and the twelvemonth before, according to State Crime Records reviewed by The Hindu. Senior officials said that portion the fig of cases whitethorn beryllium going down, the sophistication of these crimes and the wealth mislaid is lone going up.
Poor conviction
Despite the surge successful reporting, convictions stay minimal. Karnataka recorded lone 44 convictions successful 2023, including 11 cases carried implicit from erstwhile years, alongside 60 acquittals and nary discharges. For Bengaluru, this means that little than 0.3% of cases effect successful conviction.
A elder constabulary serviceman attributed the emergence to 4 cardinal factors: deficiency of cyber hygiene, inadequate cybersecurity, debased cyber awareness, and a dynamic modus operandi that succeeds owed to this deficiency of awareness.
Another serviceman highlighted Karnataka’s proactive attack to tackling cybercrime. “We person amended reporting mechanisms than immoderate different State. For example, respective States bash not registry cases wherever the fiscal nonaccomplishment is little than 1 lakh; successful Karnataka, not lone bash we registry cases with nary monetary loss, but victims are encouraged to record complaints astatine each stations,” the serviceman explained.
Cutting borderline technlogy
The serviceman besides noted however Bengaluru’s presumption arsenic an IT hub contributes to cybercrime. “A mixed colonisation resides successful Bengaluru with entree to cutting-edge technology. Investment, online trading, and e-commerce person each accrued implicit the past fewer years, making radical much susceptible to cybercrimes,” helium said. “In caller years, we person seen a surge successful concern fraud and courier scams, showing that adjacent educated individuals, trying to turn their savings, person fallen prey.”
“With specified a situation, coupled with mediocre cyber hygiene, radical often leak their ain data, which tin outgo them heavily,” the serviceman told The Hindu. He besides admitted that efforts to rise cybercrime consciousness person been insufficient.
Cybersecurity adept Shivaling Salakki pointed retired the debased condemnation rate, stating, “As these fraudsters proceed to flight punishment, much radical are getting progressive successful cybercrimes. There is simply a shortage of skilled cybercrime investigators, which indispensable beryllium addressed to amended condemnation rates.” He further suggested that inter-State collaboration among investigating agencies could heighten effectiveness.
Senior constabulary officers besides highlighted Karnataka’s Cyber Command Unit (CCU), calling it a imaginable game-changer for the State. “The caller High Court ruling emphasising the value of strengthening the CCU is simply a invited move,” said an officer.
