Bengaluru tops India's cybercrime chart with over 17,600 cases in 2023

Bengaluru has turned as the cybercrime capital of India, with the highest number of digital crime cases reported in 2023, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

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The city accounted for a staggering 17,631 cybercrime incidents, marking a sharp 77.37% rise from 9,940 cases in 2022. In just two years, the number of cases more than doubled, reflecting a troubling trend. Bengaluru’s cybercrime figures far outpaced the next 10 cities combined, which collectively recorded 14,494 cases. This means that over half of the nation’s cybercrime incidents originated from the tech hub.

Enforcement efforts remain inadequate

The rise in cases is largely attributed to fraud, with 16,116 out of the 17,631 incidents linked to various scams. However, despite the alarming surge, enforcement efforts remain inadequate. Only 18.1% of cases led to charge sheets, highlighting systemic flaws in investigations and prosecutions.

On the state level, Karnataka saw 21,889 cybercrime cases in 2023, with 18,602 related to fraud. Unfortunately, the state's charge sheet rate mirrored Bengaluru’s at just 18.1%. In contrast, Telangana recorded a higher charge sheet rate of 20.9%, while Uttar Pradesh faced a backlog, with 45.6% of cases remaining unresolved.

As cybercrimes continue to proliferate, the need for stronger enforcement and quicker legal action becomes ever more urgent.