HYDERABAD: Telangana took over the No. 1 position in cyber crimes in 2021. The number doubled to 10,303 in 2021 from 5,024 in 2020, according to the latest report of the NCRB released on Monday.
Of the 10,303 cyber crime cases, 8,690 cases reported in the State in 2021 were categorised as financial crimes.
The cases relating to violation of Section 67 of the IT Act — publishing or transmitting obscene material in 2021 were 190 and 81 respectively. Cyber-stalking or bullying of women or children stands at 200 in the State and 103 in the city alone.
The other frauds among 7,003 reported cases in 2021 include fraud related to credit cards, ATMs, online banking, and OTP. The highest number of cases i.e., 2,800 were from Hyderabad.
Cheating cases were 710 in 2020 but they doubled to 1,828 in 2021. The number of cases with regard to cyber blackmailing or threatening and fake news on social media was 47 and 34 across the State whereas Hyderabad reported 24 and 8 respectively.
Several motives
The NCRB listed motives for cyber crimes as personal revenge, anger, fraud, extortion, causing disrepute, prank, sexual exploitation, political motives, terrorist activities, inciting hatred against the country, disrupting public service, selling purchases, illegal drugs, developing own business, spreading piracy, perversions, stealing information and abetment to suicide.
Fraud was the major motive followed by personal revenge, anger, extortion and sexual exploitation. A total of 1,361 cases were sent for trial during the year in the State in 2021 while in the year 2020 the number was 939. Cyber crimes against children increased from 9 to 17 from 2020 to 2021.