India recorded a sharp rise in cybercrime incidents in 2024, with more than 22.68 lakh cases registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), marking an increase of 42.08 per cent compared to the previous year, data shared by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Parliament showed on Tuesday.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that citizens lost ₹22,845.73 crore to cybercriminals during the year, underscoring the growing scale and financial impact of online frauds across the country.
The Minister highlighted that the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS), launched in 2021, has played a significant role in limiting losses. “Over ₹7,130 crore has been saved so far through timely reporting and intervention in more than 23.02 lakh complaints,” he informed the House.
To curb the misuse of communication infrastructure, the government has taken extensive blocking measures. As per official data, more than 11.14 lakh SIM cards and 2.96 lakh mobile device IMEIs reported by police authorities have been blocked nationwide to mitigate cyber fraud and disrupt criminal networks.
Strengthening institutional responses, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) launched a Suspect Registry on September 10, 2024, in collaboration with banks and financial institutions. The registry collates identifiers linked to cybercrime suspects. According to the MoS, over 18.43 lakh suspect identifiers received from banks and 24.67 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts have been shared with participating institutions, leading to the prevention of transactions worth ₹8,031.56 crore.
Another technological tool, ‘Pratibimb’, which maps the geographical footprint of cybercriminals and their infrastructure, has aided law enforcement agencies in arresting 16,840 accused persons, the Minister said.
The data also reflects an alarming trend over recent years. In 2023, about 15.96 lakh cybercrime incidents were reported on the NCRP, a rise of 55.15 per cent over 2022, with monetary losses amounting to ₹7,465.18 crore. In 2022, 10.29 lakh cases were registered, with losses of ₹2,290.24 crore, while 4.52 lakh incidents were reported in 2021.
Bandi Sanjay Kumar reiterated that the MHA has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre as an attached office to deal with cyber offences in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. He clarified that while the NCRP facilitates reporting, the registration of FIRs and subsequent action, including arrests and filing of charge sheets, is handled by the respective state and Union Territory law enforcement agencies in accordance with the law.
