- 13 Dec 2025
Cyber Fraud in India (2024): Rising Threats, Legal Remedies, and How to Report
Introduction: The Growing Threat of Cyber Fraud in India
Cyber fraud in India has become a rapidly growing concern in 2024, with both financial and social consequences impacting individuals, businesses, and government institutions alike. The surge in digital adoption across urban and rural India has unfortunately been accompanied by an alarming increase in cybercrime incidents. These include online financial fraud, phishing scams, identity theft, cyberbullying, and more.
Alarming Statistics on Cyber Fraud in India (2024)
Between January and April 2024 alone, Indian citizens reported financial losses exceeding ₹1,750 crore due to cyber fraud. The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal recorded nearly 740,000 complaints during this short period.
The frequency of cybercrime continues to climb sharply. In May 2024, over 7,000 complaints were filed each day, representing a 113.7% increase compared to previous years. Reports estimate that Indians lose between ₹1.3 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh every minute to cybercriminals.
The number of cyber fraud cases rose dramatically from 75,800 in FY23 to 292,800 in FY24, with financial losses escalating from ₹421.4 crore to ₹2,054.6 crore.
Understanding Cyber Fraud: What It Means
Cyber fraud refers to fraudulent activities conducted online or through digital platforms, aimed at stealing personal information, financial data, or sensitive business details. Cybercriminals employ various techniques such as phishing, malware attacks, ransomware, identity theft, and social engineering to deceive victims and unlawfully gain access to confidential information.
Major Types of Cyber Fraud in India
Phishing and Identity Theft
Phishing remains one of the most common types of cyber fraud in India. Fraudsters impersonate banks, government authorities, or trusted organizations to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords, bank account details, and OTPs.
Identity theft often follows phishing attacks, with criminals using stolen information to make unauthorized transactions or commit further fraud.
Online Banking and Financial Frauds
Online banking fraud is another major concern. Scammers use fake customer care numbers, fraudulent transaction alerts, malicious apps, and OTP scams to gain unauthorized access to bank accounts. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reported losses of ₹287 crore in FY2024 due to such online financial frauds.
Social Media and Investment Scams
The rise of social media usage has led to a surge in investment scams. Fraudsters promote fake investment schemes on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, often targeting young adults. These scams present false promises of quick returns and use fake testimonials to gain trust.
Corporate Data Breaches and Cyber Espionage
Cyberattacks on corporations have resulted in significant data breaches. Hackers target sensitive client data, trade secrets, and intellectual property, especially within the finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.
CyberbullHow to file online Complaintying and Online Harassment
Non-financial cybercrimes like cyberbullying and online harassment are also on the rise. Social media platforms have become hotspots for harassment, with women, teenagers, and even adults falling victim to defamatory content and targeted abuse.
Cybercriminals in India use increasingly sophisticated techniques:
Social engineering is commonly used to manipulate victims by posing as bank officials or government representatives. Malware and ransomware attacks compromise user devices and hold data hostage until a ransom is paid. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) involve long-term, undetected intrusions into high-value networks, often targeting corporations and government entities.
Legal Remedies: Cybercrime Laws in India
The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000
India’s primary cybercrime legislation, the IT Act, 2000, addresses a wide range of digital crimes.
Section 66C penalizes identity theft with up to three years of imprisonment and a fine. Section 66D targets impersonation and cheating, commonly used in phishing and UPI fraud cases. Section 43 deals with unauthorized access and data theft, especially in corporate data breaches.
Section 67 criminalizes the publication and transmission of obscene material online, used in cyberbullying and harassment cases. Section 69A empowers the government to block access to illegal websites, helping curb illegal online scams.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Provisions (Formerly IPC)
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), formerly known as the Indian Penal Code (IPC), complements the IT Act.
Section 318 addresses cheating and dishonesty, widely used in online financial fraud prosecutions. Section 336 covers forgery used for cheating, relevant in cases of digital identity falsification. Section 356 focuses on defamation, applied in cyberbullying and online harassment cases.
RBI Guidelines on Cyber Fraud Prevention
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plays a vital role in regulating cybersecurity in the banking and financial sector.
To prevent unauthorized access and online banking fraud, the RBI mandates Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for digital transactions. Banks are required to have strong cybersecurity frameworks, report all cyber fraud incidents promptly, and conduct regular customer awareness campaigns to educate users about phishing attempts and other online fraud risks.
Landmark Cyber Law Cases in India
Bazee.com Case (Avnish Bajaj v. State, 2005)
This landmark case dealt with intermediary liability under the IT Act. The Delhi High Court ruled that online platforms would not be held liable for third-party content as long as they played a neutral role and exercised due diligence. This ruling led to crucial amendments in the IT Act, clarifying intermediary responsibilities.
Nasscom v. Ajay Sood (2005)
In this pioneering case on phishing in India, the Delhi High Court ruled that impersonating a well-known entity like Nasscom for fraudulent purposes constituted criminal impersonation and identity theft under Sections 66C and 66D of the IT Act.
Emerging Threats: AI, Deepfakes, and Quantum Risks
The landscape of cyber fraud in India is becoming more dangerous with the advent of artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies. Fraudsters now use AI-generated voices and images to impersonate trusted individuals. Additionally, experts warn that developments in quantum computing may soon threaten existing encryption standards, making data security even more challenging
How to file online Complaint?
Step 1: Visit the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
- Open your web browser and go to https://cybercrime.gov.in/.
- You will see the homepage with options for filing different types of complaints.
- This portal, managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, allows individuals to report various types of cybercrime, such as online financial fraud, cyber harassment, and identity theft.
- You can also see options for reporting women/child-related cyber crimes and other general cybercrimes.
Step 2: Select the Type of Complaint
- From the homepage, choose the complaint category:
- Report Women/Child-related Crime: For cases involving cyber harassment or abuse specifically targeted at women or children.
- Report Other Cyber Crimes: Select this for reporting online financial frauds, phishing, OTP frauds, and other types of cybercrime.
- Then click file a complaint option
Step 3: Register and Login
- If this is your first time on the portal, click on “File a Complaint” and then “New User? Register Here”.
- Fill in your basic information:
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Mobile Number – An OTP (One-Time Password) will be sent to verify your mobile number.
- Create a Password to secure your account. Once registered, you can use this password to login and manage complaints.
Log In using your email/mobile number and the password you created.
Step 4: Filing the Complaint
- After logging in, click “File a Complaint”.
- You will see a form with several sections to fill out:
- Complainant Details: Enter your name, address, and contact information.
- Complaint Details: Describe the fraud in as much detail as possible. Include specific information, such as the nature of the scam (e.g., phishing, unauthorized transaction, etc.).
- Incident Details: Provide the date, time, and location (if known) of the incident.
- Attachments: Upload any supporting documents, such as screenshots, bank statements, or conversation logs. This evidence can be essential for investigation
- Verification: You may be asked to verify your identity with additional details, such as your Aadhaar or PAN number.
Step 5: Submit and Track the Complaint
- Submit the Complaint after filling out all required fields and attaching relevant documents.
- You will receive an Acknowledgment Number for tracking purposes.
- Use this number to track the status of your complaint by logging into your account.
- The portal also provides updates on the complaint as it is forwarded to relevant authorities for investigation.
- Screenshot of Tracking Page:
- On your dashboard, the status of each complaint can be monitored under “My Complaints.”
Conclusion
In this generation of Artificial Intelligence, cyber fraud became a significant issue. We all are aware of how growing technology is now becoming a threat for society. To prevent cybercrime, it is very necessary to be vigilant and adopt all the safety measures that are necessary. To protect ourselves from cybercrime we need to understand what phishing, malware, cyberthreat is, so that we take preventive measures. though it is difficult to prevent and update about the latest threats and implement them as security measures to protect the sensitive data and important assets.
Promoting cyber awareness through webinars, school programs, awareness campaigns can be the initial step towards the protection. Moreover, advanced technologies, high security passwords, anti-malware software can also help us to prevent cyber fraud. Government has an important role to prevent cyber fraud by organising training programs that can help people to train people free of cost. Additionally, we can also take the help of international organisations to increase the standard of the software. Partnerships among different countries will establish global cybersecurity standards. Cyber frauds can be prevented if we take the initial steps and our mind. Additionally, “prevention is always better than cure”.
Disclaimer
The contents in this article are just for informational purposes only. Efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information, the author(s) and publisher do not guarantee its completeness or precision. Any matter written in this article does not express the opinion of the author or the publisher. Additionally, it does not reflect the views of the organisation. Readers should self-analyse the information and perceive accordingly. The author(s), The publisher and the organisation are not responsible for any losses or damage occurring due to the interpretation of the article.
