CHENNAI: From 2,082 in 2022, the number of registered cybercrime cases in Tamil Nadu nearly tripled to stand at 5,793 in 2024, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Wednesday showed. The state had recorded 4,121 cases in 2023.
At 5,298, fraud involving communication devices accounted for the highest number of cases. This was followed by sexual exploitation (198), causing disrepute (65), extortion (61), political motives (45), developing own business (28), personal revenge (21), emotional motives such as anger (21), and prank-related offences (9).
The total number of cybercrime cases taken up for investigation in 2024 stood at 13,342 after adding 7,549 cases pending from previous years. With this, Tamil Nadu reported a pendency rate of 91.8% at the end of the year, the second highest in the country after Manipur, which recorded 100% pendency.
The state’s capital, Chennai, too, witnessed a steep rise in cybercrime cases, recording a seven-fold increase over two years. The city registered 271 cases in 2022, which surged to 1,352 in 2023 and further climbed to 1,882 in 2024.
On the rise in cases, cybersecurity expert Ishwar Prasad told the TNIE that cybercrimes are increasing everywhere due to rapid digitisation. On the challenges, he said many cybercriminals operate from abroad and use technologies such as the dark web to commit digital fraud, making probe difficult.