Digital arrests, a rising cybercrime, involve offenders impersonating government officials to extort payments through intimidation. Additionally, 2024 witnessed ongoing harassment from loan apps, further exacerbating concerns over online security and fraud
Published Jan 01, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 01, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Cybercrimes went up 91.5% in 2024 across Hyderabad
Hyderabad is a city made of three police commissionerates – Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda. These three are responsible for policing the capital city of Telangana. As 2024 draws to a close, all three commissionerates released their annual reports, painting the year in crime. From the reports, many interesting trends emerge. One such interesting trend is that of the growth of cybercrime in an increasingly digital society.
In 2024, 20,414 cybercrime cases were registered across the three commissionerates, up 91 percent from 10,658 in 2023. With Cyberabad clocking in the highest at 11.914, it was followed by Rachakonda at 4,458 and Hyderabad at 4,042. This marks an increase of 122 percent, 74 percent, and 47 percent, respectively.
In Hyderabad, cybercrime caused a loss of about ₹296 Crore. Despite the already big number, Cyberabad saw losses doubling Hyderabad at ₹793 Crore, a massive spike from just ₹269 Crore in 2023. However, Cyberabad also takes the top spot in refunding money, at over ₹70 Crore, it exceeds Hyderabad’s ₹39 Crore and Rachakonda’s ₹23 Crore.
Within the vast domain of cybercrime, data suggests that some crimes are more popular than others. One particular kind takes the cake across the three commissionerates. The part-time job/ investment fraud. This is when a cyber offender takes money from the victim under the pretence of providing a job or an investment opportunity.
In Cyberabad, Hyderabad, and Rachakonda, this reigned as the most common cybercrime with 3,276, 1,418, and 2,125 cases respectively. That totals up to 6,819 part-time job/ investment frauds in the city of Hyderabad during 2024.
Additionally, Hyderabad lost ₹62.1 Crore to the same while Cyberabad lost ₹173 Crore to the scam.
Furthermore, digital arrests have become a new popular cybercrime with offenders impersonating government officials forcing the victim to pay them through intimidation. 2024 also saw loan app harassment continue. There were 34 cases in Cyberabad while there were 143 in the Rachakonda limits this year.
Speaking to South First, Cyberabad cyber crime ACP Busireddy Ravindra Reddy explained that the majority of cybercrime victims were literate people.
“It is surprising that the majority of the victims are literate. However, it is also true that the literate population has more internet exposure,” he said. “In fact, the most common cybercrime was the part-time job fraud, and the largest victims were ironically, software employees,” he continued.
The Hyderabad cyber crimes officials also noted that there is a high chance that the victim is a male and employed. “The target of a cyber offender is money. It doesn’t matter whether you’re male, female, literate, illiterate, employed, or unemployed. They take a trial-and-error approach and prey on anyone gullible,” officials informed.
Similarly, the Cyberabad police also cautioned against cyber offenders. Speaking to the press DCP Kavitha informed that the offenders depend on sensitive information like one’s AADHAAR details to manipulate victims. She further noted that they impersonate people in power to steal money from the unsuspecting victims.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
