Lucknow: With an average of around 30 cases daily, Uttar Pradesh registered 11,073 incidents of cybercrime in 2024, according to the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).The NCRB report shows that cybercrime in Uttar Pradesh has continued to rise steadily over the past three years. The state recorded 10,117 cybercrime cases in 2022, which increased to 10,794 in 2023 and further climbed to 11,073 in 2024 — an increase of 279 cases over the previous year.From 2022 to 2023, cybercrime cases increased by 677, registering a rise of approximately 6.7%. From 2023 to 2024, cases increased by 279, reflecting a comparatively slower rise of nearly 2.6%. Overall, between 2022 and 2024, UP witnessed an increase of 956 cybercrime cases, marking an overall growth of around 9.4% in two years.UP ranked 16th among all states and Union territories in the country in terms of cybercrime rate in 2024.The state recorded a cybercrime rate of 4.6 cases per lakh population, below the national average of 7.3. Several states and UTs reported significantly higher cybercrime rates, including Telangana at 71.1, Karnataka at 32.2, Chandigarh at 9.3, Puducherry at 8.4, Kerala at 8.2 and Maharashtra at 7.8.Financial fraud emerged as the single largest cybercrime in Uttar Pradesh during 2024. NCRB data showed that 4,469 cases were linked to fraud, including phishing scams, fake trading and investment apps, OTP frauds, digital arrest scams, fake loan offers, cryptocurrency cheating and online banking fraud.Police said organized interstate cyber gangs are increasingly targeting victims through fake customer care calls, cloned websites, mule bank accounts and fraudulent payment gateways.One of the most alarming findings in the report was Uttar Pradesh recording the highest number of cybercrime cases linked to sexual exploitation motive in the country.The state registered 633 cases under the “sexual exploitation” category, reflecting a rise in sextortion, circulation of intimate videos, fake social media profiles and online blackmail using morphed photographs.Other motives included 1,204 cybercrime cases linked to “causing disrepute,” 837 revenge-driven cyber crimes, 212 extortion-related cybercrime cases, 117 cases linked to emotional motives such as anger and harassment, and 99 cases involving disruption of public services.The state recorded 1,392 cybercrime cases against women in 2024, placing it third among the 28 states and eight UTs. Karnataka tops with 6,329 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 2,496.Out of the total cases, 562 cases involved cyber stalking and online bullying, 25 cases related to cyber pornography, 10 cases involved cyber blackmailing and threats, and 793 cases fell under “other cyber crimes against women”.The state recorded 186 cybercrime cases against children, making it third. Chhattisgarh topped with 274 cases, followed by Rajasthan with 197.Of these, 124 cases involved cyber pornography and obscene sexual content depicting children, 59 cases were categorized as “other cyber-crimes against children,” and one case each involved fake profiles, cyber bullying and exploitation through gaming apps.The report showed that the state began 2024 with 6,383 pending cybercrime investigations. With 11,073 new cases registered in 2024, police handled 17,456 cybercrime investigations in 2024 — nearly 48 investigations every day.Despite mounting workload, UP reported a charge-sheeting rate of 54%, significantly higher than the national average of 31.9%.Police filed charge sheets in 6,644 cybercrime cases, including 4,535 fresh cases registered in 2024 and 2,109 cases pending from previous years.The state’s pendency rate stood at 29.5%, much lower than the national average of 61.6%, indicating comparatively faster disposal of investigations.NCRB data showed that 3,541 cases in Uttar Pradesh were categorized as “true but insufficient evidence, untraced or no clue,” reflecting the difficulty of tracing offenders using VPNs, encrypted apps, fake SIM cards and overseas digital networks.NCRB data showed that 3,541 cases in Uttar Pradesh were categorized as “true but insufficient evidence, untraced or no clue,” reflecting the difficulty of tracing offenders using VPNs, encrypted apps, fake SIM cards and overseas digital networks.
