Uttarakhand recorded 195% increase in cybercrimes in 2021: NCRB

Uttarakhand recorded a 195% increase in cybercrime in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The hilly state reported 718 cybercrime cases in 2021, 243 in 2020, and 100 in 2019, the report said.

The crime rate of cyber fraud cases, which is crime incidence per one lakh of the population, stood at 6.3 per cent, which is the fourth highest in the country after Telangana (27.3), Assam (13.8), and Karnataka (12.1). The average cybercrime rate in the country was 3.9 per cent.

The charge-sheeting rate in 2021 for cybercrimes was 59 %. Among the types of cybercrimes, 634 were computer-related offences and 49 were identity theft.

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An analysis of the report shows the motives as fraud (256 cases), extortion (264), anger (25), personal revenge (20) and sexual exploitation (74).

Director general of police Ashok Kumar said they were registering more cases and ensuring every complaint is converted into a first information report (FIR) to provide relief to victims.

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“We try to work out every cyber fraud case. In recent times, we have arrested fraudsters based in various states including Bihar and Odisha,” he said.

He further said that on a regular basis, they warn citizens about various fraudulent activities in the virtual world and guide them on how to file complaints related to such crimes.

Meanwhile, a senior police official at the state police headquarters said they face many constraints in the investigation of cybercrimes.

He said, first of all, they don’t have adequate manpower given the workload. Secondly, only inspector-level police officials are competent to probe the cyber fraud cases and their number across the state is just around 100.

“Then, there is an urgent need to address the issue at the government level. Laws should be more stringent against cyber frauds,” he added.