Huge amounts of fraud money transferred through hawala channels or cryptocurrency.
Hyderabad: Tracking cyber criminals operating from other countries, a majority of them from organised gangs in southeast Asia, has become a challenge for cyber crime police, an official said.
According to the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, a total of 12 lakh cybercrime incidents were reported from metro cities in India last year. Of this, 45 per cent of cybercrimes were reported from Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.
Their handlers in India collect huge amounts by duping victims and transfer the funds through hawala channels or in the form of cryptocurrency. In fact, many Indians have been duped to join gangs in these Southeast Asian countries for a fee.
During the last nine months of 2024, 11,383 cybercrimes, including online trading, were reported in metro cities.
The national cybercrime team has already warned people against taking calls or messages on social messaging platforms from unidentified and unknown numbers. A recent circular has been issued to all the states to be vigilant and educate the public, a senior cyber crime cop said.
By January 2025, there were 33,19,882 cases in metro cities that include 1,00,360 complaints for investments; digital arrest was followed by 1,716 with more than 64,582 complaints, reliable sources disclosed. In 2021, 30.05 lakh cyber crime cases were reported.
“The inter-state fraudsters can be tracked easily whereas the fraudsters operating from other countries can be tracked but it will again depend on the amount and other country’s extradition rules. We will be coordinating with different countries and seek their coordination in investigation as per the rules,” a cyber cop said.
Infographics
Telangana reported a 43.33% increase in cybercrime cases in 2024 compared to 2023.
Telangana Cyber Security Bureau reported 25,184 cyber crime cases in 2024.
2014 Cyber crime cases in Telangana
2024: 25,184 cyber crime cases — 43.33 per cent up from 2023.
2024: 1.14 lakh cyber crime complaints, an increase of 24.5 per cent.
