Cybercrime in Ghaziabad spiked under lockdown by 200%: Data

Ghaziabad: During the Covid lockdown, when people were forced to stay inside their houses and had to rely on online sources for their daily needs, cybercrime went on rampantly in Ghaziabad with most of the crimes being reported in bank or credit/debit card frauds.

As per data, a hike of over 200 per cent was reported as compared to the past two years. Even in the first Covid wave, the cybercrime in Ghaziabad had increased by almost 75 per cent during the lockdown. In 2019, during a period of March and June, a total of 762 cases of cyber frauds were reported in Ghaziabad while the figures were 940 in 2020 when the first Covid wave hit the nation, in the same period.

However, in 2021, the figures rose to over 1,520, in the same period of time. Cops said that the gangs operating from Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Nigeria are actively duping people in the Delhi-NCR region.

"The cyber criminals took advantage of people turning to online even for getting items of basic need and some regional gangs also grew up. While police had been actively keeping track of all such gangs, complaints of people being duped online have been on the rise," a senior officer from Ghaziabad cybercrime said.

"Even we have issued advisory for people not to fall prey to any call who offer them lucrative benefits, people get easily conned by cybercriminals. While the maximum of cases reported of debit/credit card frauds, people should not also click any ads on their email or don't trust strangers who are talking to them on phone and asking about the insurance policy," the officer added.

Abhay Mishra, Circle officer Indirapuram and in charge of Cyber cell said that cops are trying to nab the fraudsters and that the police have busted around 20 fake call centers with the arrest of 75 accused. "We are trying to trace the culprits and will nab more fraudsters soon," he said.