BHUBANESWAR : The capital has witnessed a significant surge in cyber crimes in the last three years with the police receiving 7,263 complaints involving fraud of over Rs 82.53 crore in 2024 alone.
Information shared by the Commissionerate Police on Wednesday revealed that out of the total cases reported last year, 2,653 were related to financial scams, UPI (1,872), credit/debit cards (781), social media (1,076) and other fraud calls (881).
At least 3,614 cyber crime complaints were received from the city in 2022 and the number was 4,832 in 2023. The total fraud amounted to a whopping Rs 13.99 crore in 2022 and Rs 42.61 crore in 2023.
Cyber Crime and Economic Offence police station in Bhubaneswar registered 322 cases last year and freezed Rs 23.60 crore. However, it managed to refund only Rs 2.50 crore to the victims. Police said the cyber crooks cheated citizens through impersonation, investment, job, UPI and credit/debit card frauds as well as digital arrests. The scamsters targeted unsuspecting victims mostly via SMSes, emails, WhatsApp calls, Telegram and other social media platforms.
“As part of the investigation into cyber fraud cases and to recover the swindled amount, teams were sent to West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, New Delhi, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the last 12 months. At least 38 accused including 20 hailing from other states were arrested in 2024,” said Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh.
Apart from cyber frauds, the state capital also witnessed a rise in other crimes. Police recorded 14,416 criminal cases in 2024 as compared to 11,975 cases in 2023. The city saw a surge in murders with 66 cases being reported in 2024 against 52 in the previous year.
The incidents of rape also increased with 137 cases being reported in 2024 as compared to 135 in 2023. Similarly, 1,314 swindling cases were registered last year as compared to 1,005 in 2023. The city, however, registered a decline in crimes related to dacoity, robbery, burglary and theft.
Road accidents in the state capital remained a major cause of concern. Around 866 road accidents took place in the city in 2024 as compared to 792 in 2023.
Bhubaneswar police attributed the rise in criminal cases to their free ‘registration policy’ and encouraging victims to lodge complaints.
In neighbouring Cuttack, the overall case registration went down from 7,435 in 2023 to 7,221 in 2024. Though there was a decline in heinous crimes like murder and rape, 786 cases of thefts were reported in Cuttack last year as compared to 704 in 2023.
The Commissionerate Police said Bhubaneswar and Cuttack witnessed a reduction in major crimes like dacoity, robbery, burglary, theft and rioting due to targeted strategies like community policing, intensified patrolling and swift action against offenders.
Steps will be taken to prevent burglaries in apartments and other property offences like theft, dacoity and robbery in Bhubaneswar. Efforts will continue to make the two cities safer for people, it added.
Tackling the problem top priority: DGP
DGP YB Khurania on Wednesday said tackling cyber crimes is Odisha Police’s top priority this year. Steps will be taken to prevent cyber crimes and efforts will be made to provide relief to people falling prey to scamsters. The DGP said other priorities will be to check crimes against people belonging to the weaker sections of the society as well as women.