Lucknow: An average of about 30 cases per day, Uttar Pradesh According to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 11,073 incidents of cyber crime were recorded in 2024.NCRB report shows that cyber crime in Uttar Pradesh has been continuously increasing in the last three years. The state recorded 10,117 cyber crime cases in 2022, rising to 10,794 in 2023 and 11,073 in 2024 – an increase of 279 cases over the previous year.From 2022 to 2023, cyber crime cases are expected to increase by 677, registering an increase of about 6.7%. From 2023 to 2024, cases increased by 279, which represents a comparatively slow increase of about 2.6%. Overall, between 2022 and 2024, UP saw an increase of 956 cyber crime cases, an overall increase of about 9.4% in two years.UP ranks 16th among all the states and union territories in the country in terms of cyber crime rate in 2024.The cyber crime rate in the state was recorded at 4.6 cases per lakh population, which is lower than the national average of 7.3. Several states and union territories have reported a significant increase in cyber crime rates, including Telangana at 71.1, Karnataka at 32.2, Chandigarh at 9.3, Puducherry at 8.4, Kerala at 8.2 and Maharashtra at 7.8.Financial fraud emerged as the biggest cyber crime in Uttar Pradesh during 2024. NCRB data showed that 4,469 cases were related to frauds, including phishing scams, fake trading and investment apps, OTP frauds, digital arrest scams, fake loan offers, cryptocurrency frauds and online banking frauds.Police said organized interstate cyber gangs are increasingly targeting victims through fake customer service calls, cloned websites, fraudulent use of original bank accounts and fraudulent payment gateways.One of the most worrying findings in the report was that Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of cases of cyber crimes aimed at sexual exploitation in the country.The state recorded 633 cases under the “sexual exploitation” category, reflecting a rise in sextortion, dissemination of intimate videos, fake social media profiles and online blackmail using morphed photographs.Other motives include 1,204 cyber crime cases linked to “abusive cause”, 837 cyber crimes motivated by vengeance, 212 cyber crime cases related to extortion, 117 cases linked to emotional motives such as anger and harassment, and 99 cases linked to disruption of public services.The state recorded 1,392 cyber crime cases against women in 2024, the third highest among 28 states and eight union territories. Karnataka tops the tally with 6,329 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 2,496 cases.Of the total cases, 562 cases were related to cyber stalking and online bullying, 25 cases were related to cyber pornography, 10 cases were related to cyber blackmailing and intimidation, and 793 cases fell under “other cyber crimes against women”.186 cases of cyber crime against children were registered in the state, placing it at third position. Chhattisgarh tops the list with 274 cases, followed by Rajasthan with 197 cases.Of these, 124 cases involved cyber pornography and obscene sexual material depicting children, 59 cases were classified as “other cyber crimes against children”, and one case each involved exploitation through fake profiles, cyber bullying and gaming apps.The report revealed that 2024 started with 6,383 pending cyber crime investigations in the state. With 11,073 new cases being registered in 2024, police conducted 17,456 cyber crime investigations in 2024 – about 48 investigations every day.Despite the increasing workload, the charge-sheet filing rate in UP was recorded at 54%, much higher than the national average of 31.9%.Police filed charge sheets in 6,644 cyber crime cases, which includes 4,535 new cases registered in 2024 and 2,109 pending cases from previous years.The state’s pendency rate stood at 29.5%, much lower than the national average of 61.6%, indicating comparatively faster disposal of investigations.NCRB data showed that 3,541 cases in Uttar Pradesh were classified as “true but insufficient evidence, unknown or no clue”, reflecting the difficulty in tracing criminals using VPNs, encrypted apps, fake SIM cards and foreign digital networks.NCRB data showed that 3,541 cases in Uttar Pradesh were classified as “true but insufficient evidence, unknown or no clue”, reflecting the difficulty in tracing criminals using VPNs, encrypted apps, fake SIM cards and foreign digital networks.