**Cybercrime in India on the Rise, Fraud Cases at an All-Time High: NCRB Report**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 30, 2025, 04:15 PM*
Cybercrime in India has witnessed a massive surge of 31.2% in 2023, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The report highlights fraud, extortion, and sexual exploitation as the primary contributors to this alarming increase.
The total number of cybercrime cases jumped from 65,893 in 2022 to a staggering 86,420 in 2023, underscoring growing challenges to digital security and the urgent need for enhanced vigilance across the country.
### Fraud: The Most Prevalent Cybercrime
Fraud-related offenses emerged as the most common form of cybercrime, accounting for a whopping 68.9% (59,526 cases) of all incidents in 2023. This sharp rise indicates increasing exploitation of digital platforms for fraudulent activities.
Sexual exploitation and extortion, though significantly lower in number, also contributed notably to the cybercrime landscape, making up 4.9% (4,199 cases) and 3.8% (3,326 cases), respectively, among all registered cybercrimes last year.
### State-wise Distribution: Karnataka and Telangana Lead the Way
Karnataka topped the list with the highest number of cybercrime cases in 2023, reporting an unprecedented 21,889 incidents. This represents a sharp rise from 12,556 cases in 2022 and 8,136 in 2021. The state recorded 18,166 cases of cheating by impersonation and over 1,000 instances involving the transfer of obscene videos.
Telangana closely followed, with cybercrime cases increasing to 18,236 in 2023 from 15,297 in the previous year. Uttar Pradesh ranked third, with 10,794 reported cybercrime cases.
### Rising Economic Offenses
The NCRB report also noted a 6% increase in economic offenses overall. In 2023, a total of 204,973 such cases were registered compared to 193,385 in 2022. Among these, forgery, cheating, and fraud (FCF) accounted for the majority with 181,553 cases, followed by criminal breach of trust at 22,759, and counterfeiting with 661 cases.
—
The rising figures in cybercrime highlight the critical need for individuals and organizations to strengthen cyber defenses and for authorities to intensify efforts in combating digital fraud and exploitation. Staying informed and cautious online has never been more important.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/cybercrime-in-india-increasing-fraud-cases-highest-ncrb/story
