Fresh data highlights a significant concentration of cybercrime cases in southern India, raising questions about whether the region is witnessing higher cybercrime activity or simply reporting incidents more effectively than other parts of the country.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Crime in India 2024 report, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana together accounted for 60,506 cybercrime cases in 2024, representing nearly 60% of all cybercrime cases registered nationwide.
Cybercrime cases across India increased steadily from around 65,000 in 2022 to 86,000 in 2023 and crossed 1.1 lakh in 2024. Telangana recorded the highest number of cases, rising from 18,000 in 2023 to 27,000 in 2024. Karnataka followed with 21,993 cases and a cybercrime rate of 32.2. Tamil Nadu saw cases increase from 2,000 in 2022 to 6,000 in 2024, while its cybercrime rate rose from 47.8 to 71.1 per lakh population.
The report notes that the rise in cybercrime may partly be linked to new provisions introduced under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which came into effect on July 1, 2024. These provisions address emerging cyber offences such as organised cybercrime, sexual intercourse by deceitful means, and publishing false or misleading information that threatens India’s sovereignty, unity, integrity, or security. However, only 99, 60, and 2 cases respectively were registered under these categories in 2024.
New crime classifications under the Information Technology Act, including breach of confidentiality and privacy and publication of electronic signatures for fraudulent purposes, were also added to the report. These categories recorded 37 and 5 cases respectively.
Fraud-related offences continue to drive cybercrime growth. Southern states accounted for 79.2% of cheating-by-personation cases, 68.1% of fraud cases, and 58.1% of cheating cases reported across India. Karnataka recorded a high share of cheating-by-personation cases, while fraud-related offences dominated cybercrime statistics in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Experts suggest that higher cybercrime figures in southern states may reflect greater digital adoption, increased online financial activity, stronger reporting mechanisms, and better public trust in law enforcement. The key challenge for policymakers is determining whether the increase reflects rising cyber threats or improvements in crime reporting and detection systems.
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