Bhubaneswar, Jan 2 (NationPress) The Commissionerate Police has reported a notable surge in the documentation of cybercrime-related incidents for the year 2024. This information was disclosed by the Commissionerate Police in their annual crime statistics-2024, which was provided to media representatives on Wednesday.

According to the data shared by the Commissionerate Police, a total of 7263 cybercrime cases were documented in Bhubaneswar last year, which marks an increase from 4832 cases in 2023. The capital city, Bhubaneswar, has witnessed an increase of over 50 percent in incidents related to cybercrime in 2024.

It is important to note that there were 3614 cases associated with various cyber frauds reported in Bhubaneswar in 2022. This indicates more than a two-fold rise in cybercrime cases in the city over the past two years.

Of the 7263 cases reported in 2024, there were 2653 complaints concerning financial fraud, 1872 related to UPI transaction fraud, 781 concerning credit and debit card fraud, and 1076 complaints about social media fraud.

The Commissionerate Police registered 322 FIRs regarding these cases last year. Additionally, law enforcement apprehended a total of 38 cybercriminals, including 20 individuals from outside the state, during this timeframe.

Fraudsters managed to deceive victims in Bhubaneswar of a total amount of Rs 82,53,56,251 last year.

From the overall amount swindled by cybercriminals, police successfully froze Rs 23,60,14,447, while Rs 2,50,00,000 were refunded to the victims.

The Commissionerate Police further highlighted in its report that numerous high-profile cases were resolved in Bhubaneswar last year, including scams related to digital arrests, social media harassment, blackmail cases, financial investment frauds, and call center frauds.

In contrast, the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack experienced an over 11 percent increase in the registration of various criminal cases during 2024.

A total of 21613 criminal cases were documented across various police stations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack during 2024, compared to 19410 cases filed in 2023. The Commissionerate Police reported that 89 murder cases were recorded in the twin city area last year, compared to 78 murder cases in 2023.

Moreover, the twin city recorded a rise in cheating cases in 2024 compared to those reported in 2023, with 1729 swindling cases registered last year versus 1471 cases in 2023.

However, incidents of rape, robbery, dacoity, burglary, theft, and rioting have seen a decline in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack during 2024.