Cybercrime in India surged sharply in 2023, with cases rising by 31 per cent compared to the previous year, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau released on September 30.
A total of 86,420 cybercrime cases were registered across the country in 2023, up from 65,893 in 2022. The national crime rate increased from 4.8 in 2022 to 6.2 in 2023. Fraud was the most common motive, making up nearly 69 per cent of all cases with 59,526 incidents. Sexual exploitation accounted for 4.9 per cent with 4,199 cases, while extortion stood at 3.8 per cent with 3,326 cases.
Karnataka reported the highest number of cases at 21,889, followed by Telangana with 18,236 and Uttar Pradesh with 10,794. While Karnataka led in overall numbers, Telangana recorded a higher crime rate of 47.8 cases per lakh population compared to Karnataka’s 32.3. Uttar Pradesh performed better in chargesheeting, with a rate of 45.6 per cent against Telangana’s 20.9 per cent.
Bengaluru emerged as the epicentre of cybercrime in the country, logging 17,631 cases in 2023. The city alone accounted for nearly four out of every five cybercrimes in Karnataka and contributed more than half of the cybercrime cases across 19 major cities. Bengaluru’s crime rate stood at 207.4 cases per lakh population, over seven times the national average.
The growth in cases has been steep. Bengaluru recorded 6,423 cases in 2021, 9,940 in 2022, and then a sharp rise to more than 17,600 cases in 2023. Nationally, most cases were registered under Section 66 of the IT Act related to computer offences, which made up 60.3 per cent of cybercrimes in 2023. In Karnataka, 18,166 cases were linked to cheating by personation and 1,007 cases involved obscene video transfers.
In 2024, Karnataka registered 22,468 cases, but by mid-2025, the pace appeared to ease with 7,293 cases, at least 2,000 fewer than in the same period of 2024 and 2023.
Despite rising numbers, conviction rates remain poor. Karnataka secured only 44 convictions in 2023, including 11 from earlier years, compared to 60 acquittals. Bengaluru’s conviction rate stood at less than 0.3 per cent.
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