VISAKHAPATNAM: Cybercrimes registered a very slight increase in Andhra Pradesh in 2020, with overall cases increasing to 1,899 from 1,886 in 2019.
The crime rate in the state increased by 0.68 per cent in 2020 as per the latest NCRB data on ‘Crime in India-2020.’ Andhra Pradesh stood in seventh place in cybercrimes in the country.
The profile of cybercrimes registered in state in 2020 clearly shows that fraud (online banking frauds, OTP frauds, ATM and other frauds) was the motive in as many as 764 cases. A total of 375 cybercrimes against women were reported in the state in 2020 which include 145 crimes related to cyber stalking/bullying of women and children.
Vizag city has reported a greater number of cybercrimes. Vizag city was followed by West Godavari and Kurnool districts in number of cases in 2020. A total of 352 cybercrimes were registered with the cybercrime police station in Vizag in 2020.
Inspector of cybercrimes police station (CPS), Vizag, RVRK Choudhary said around 60 per cent of the cybercrimes that were reported in Vizag city in 2020 were related to financial frauds. The cybercrooks stole property worth more than 6.35 crore from Vizagites by duping in various methods in 2020. A spurt in the cases was witnessed during the lockdown. Vizag city gas witnessed the biggest financial fraud in 2020, he added.
A Vizag-based netizen was duped to the tune of 1.63 crore by fraudsters (Facebook friends) after promising expensive gifts in 2020. It is the biggest financial fraud under cybercrime category so far in Vizag city as well as in state.
NCRB data also highlighted the slow pace of investigations into the cybercrimes as 3,689 cases were awaiting investigation at the end of 2020. As many as 1,144 cybercrime cases came for court trial in the state in 2020. Only six cases ended in convictions while 88 ended in acquittals. The cyber criminals have been coming up with new methods to dupe public every day while the police are yet to be equipped in terms of manpower and technology to solve the cases.
