Cybercrime Cases in 2021 Rose by 5 Percent, Fraud Most Common Motive: Report

The number of cybercrime cases reported in the country in 2021 rose by 5 percent from the year before, according to a report. Charge sheets were reportedly filed in only one-third of cases, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Fraud was the most common motive in cases of cyber fraud, and over 70 percent of the 52,974 cases reported last year were from states like Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, according to government data.

According to a PTI report citing data from the NCRB's Crime in India – 2021 report, 52,974 cases of cybercrime were reported in 2021. While the number of cases rose by 5 percent compared to 2020, which saw 50,035 cases, the rate of charge sheets in these cases was only 33.8 percent — accounting for one-third of all cases reported.

NCRB data for state-wise cybercrime cases reported in 2021
Photo Credit: Screenshot/NCRB

Out of the 52,974 cases of cybercrime reported in 2021, the data from the NCRB reveals that 60.8 percent were motivated by fraud, while extortion and sexual exploitation made up 5.4 and 8.6 percent of cases, respectively.

Over 70 percent of cybercrime cases in the country reported in 2021 were from Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. Telangana had the highest number of cases at
 10,303, while 8,829 cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Karnataka and Maharashtra saw 8,136 and 5,662 cybercrime cases registered in 2021, according to the report. 

Meanwhile, 15 cases of cyber terrorism were recorded in 2021, according to the report, while there were 648 instances of ransomware reported in the country.

Offences of cheating by impersonation, identity theft, and publishing of obscene and sexual content accounted for over 24,000 of reported cybercrime cases, according to the report.