DEHRADUN: The crime landscape in Uttarakhand has undergone a dramatic transformation. Since the state’s formation, traditional offenders involved in robbery, theft and dacoity have increasingly migrated to the digital space, unleashing a wave of cyber fraud that the Supreme Court has recently described as “sheer loot”.
Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) reveals a grim picture: between 2021 and 2025, cybercriminals swindled residents of Uttarakhand of more than Rs 468 crore. Nearly 90,000 people fell victim to cyber fraud during this period.
“Despite operating with limited resources, the police have successfully recovered over Rs 70 crore of public money,” said Navneet Bhullar, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Special Task Force (STF).
The scale of the crisis is reflected in the surge in reported cases. NCRP data shows that cyber fraud incidents have increased more than 12-fold over the past five years. While familiar scams such as loan frauds, ‘work-from-home’ schemes and online trading traps continue to be common, a dangerous new trend known as “Digital Arrest” has emerged as the most serious threat.
Explaining the modus operandi, SSP Bhullar said cybercriminals rely heavily on psychological pressure. “Over the last five years, 37 people were targeted using the fear of so-called ‘Digital Arrest’, resulting in losses running into crores. Although the central government issued warnings through caller tunes, fraudsters quickly adapted their tactics to stay ahead,” he said.
The STF continues to spearhead efforts against cybercrime. “We are running continuous awareness campaigns through social media and other platforms to prevent cyber offences,” Bhullar added.
He emphasised that prompt reporting plays a crucial role, enabling police to swiftly freeze fraudulent transactions. This led to the recovery of more than Rs 28 crore in the past year alone. To tackle the growing menace, the Uttarakhand Police plans to significantly strengthen its technical infrastructure and manpower in the coming months.
Sources within the STF said recent data shows a marked shift towards sophisticated financial frauds. The breakdown of cases includes:
Online trading scams: 60 cases
Digital arrest frauds: 18 cases
Fake calls/SMS: 6 cases
Work-from-home scams: 4 cases
Social media gift scams: 2 cases
Others (insurance, job-related, etc.): 8 cases