Cybercrimes go up by 1,000% in Bengaluru Rural district

Bengaluru: Cybercrime cases in Bengaluru Rural district saw an alarming rise of over 1,000 per cent from 2020 to 2023, underscoring how those on the city outskirts were now
falling prey.

Data analysed exclusively by DH revealed that cases registered at the dedicated Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) crime station jumped from 39 in 2020 to 484 in 2023 — a whopping 1,141 per cent increase. In 2021, the district reported 70 cases; in 2022 - 227, and in 2024 - 151 cases (until April) were reported.

Bengaluru Rural had the most cases in 2023, compared to the other districts, and only behind Bengaluru City, a commissionerate.

Senior police officers have attributed the alarming rise to the deepening penetration of the internet in semi-urban areas and the increasing use of digital technologies and smartphones. “In today’s digital age, almost everyone is connected through social media,” C K Baba, Superintendent of Police (Bengaluru Rural), told DH. “This exposes individuals to online threats, including identity theft and financial fraud. Limited social media presence and less reliability on digital payments significantly decrease the chances of falling prey.”

Most crimes are job fraud

Data revealed that from 2020 to 2024, most fell prey to online job fraud. The cases reported during the period were 305.

The SP pointed to rapid urbanisation and changing settlement patterns as contributing factors and said that many city dwellers were relocating to rural outskirts for better living conditions.

“The victim profiles we see now resemble those within city limits—primarily private-sector employees and tech professionals who are often deceived by fraudulent work-from-home and job schemes,” the SP said, adding that a growing trend of courier scams, like those involving FedEx which have evolved from traditional phishing and OTP scams,
is also seen.

Over Rs 75 crore lost

Between 2020 and April 2024, the cybercrime victims in the district lost a whopping Rs 75.57 crore — the most in 2023 (Rs 35.53 crore). During the period, the CEN investigators recovered Rs 16.11 crore. Till April this year, Rs 28.74 crore was lost.

Baba emphasised the increasing difficulty in recovering stolen funds due to delayed crime reporting by victims and the sophisticated methods used by criminals.

“In investment fraud cases, for example, victims often use physical instruments like cheques. Once a cheque is deposited, the scammers withdraw the funds swiftly leaving no trail. Additionally, money laundering through cryptocurrencies has become rampant, making tracing of illicit funds nearly impossible,” he said.

“The comprehensive firewalling and cybersecurity protocols common in urban areas are often absent here, partly due to financial limitations and a lack of expertise.”