By Sarthak Goswami
Priyanka, a night-shift worker from Ghaziabad, epitomises the aspirations of many Indians who have embraced the digital revolution.
Working remotely for Amazon, she sought to supplement her income by responding to an Instagram post advertising paid online tasks.
The initial experience seemed harmless enough—her first task, which involved rating a restaurant, earned her ₹180 (around $2.10).
However, what began as a modest side hustle quickly descended into a harrowing ordeal.
Within days, Priyanka found herself added to a Telegram group masquerading as a stock investment platform.
The group’s slick presentation—complete with fake dashboards, company logos, and even forged documents purporting to be from the National Stock Exchange—convinced her of its legitimacy.
Encouraged by the apparent success of her first “investment”, Priyanka deposited ₹1,000 and was shown a return of ₹1,350 on a fake portal.
But when she attempted to withdraw her earnings, she was told she needed to complete further “tasks”, each requiring larger sums: ₹3,000, then ₹11,000, and eventually ₹50,000.
By the time she caught on to the deception, she had lost ₹1 lakh, including ₹50,000 borrowed from a friend.
When she confronted the scammers, they threatened her with legal action, compounding her distress.
Priyanka’s story is far from unique. Across India, the digital transformation has brought unprecedented convenience and opportunity, but it has also unleashed a tidal wave of cyber fraud.
As digital payments and online services proliferate, so too do the risks for ordinary citizens, often with devastating consequences.
The scale of the problem is staggering
According to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), India recorded over 1.91 million cybercrime complaints in 2024 alone—a nearly tenfold increase from just a few years earlier.
Financial losses are mounting at an alarming rate, with projections suggesting that cybercrime could cost India more than ₹20,000 crore in 2025, cyber security intelligence firm CloudSEK said in a report.
“Cyber threats are now a permanent reality, requiring constant vigilance and proactive measures,” said G Parameshwara, Home Minister, Karnataka.
“The number of cybercrime cases has surged, and in some divisions, over 40% of registered cases are linked to cybersecurity,” he added while speaking at a cybercrime summit held earlier this year.
| Financial Year | Cases Reported (₹1 lakh and above) | Total Loss (₹ Crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 2,677 | 44.22 |
| 2020-21 | 2,545 | 50.10 |
| 2021-22 | 3,596 | 80.33 |
| 2022-23 | 6,699 | 69.68 |
| 2023-24 | 29,082 | 177.05 |
This data, which was presented earlier this year in the Indian parliament, shows a sharp rise in high-value fraud cases (₹1 lakh and above) reported over the past five financial years.
Cases surged more than tenfold from 2,677 in 2019–20 to 29,082 in 2023–24.
Correspondingly, the total loss increased fourfold, from ₹44.22 crore to ₹177.05 crore.
This explosion in cybercrime is closely linked to India’s rapid digitalisation.
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) now accounts for 83% of digital payments, up from just 34% in 2019.
In 2024 alone, UPI transactions are projected to surpass 171 billion, with a total value of ₹245 lakh crore.
While this growth has made payments faster and more accessible than ever before, it has also created fertile ground for fraudsters.
The anatomy of these scams is disturbingly familiar
Victims like Priyanka are often lured by small initial payouts, only to be drawn into a cycle of increasingly larger “tasks” or “investments.”
Fraudsters use fake dashboards and professional-looking documents to build credibility and maintain the illusion of legitimacy.
In 2024, a staggering 85% of cybercrime reports in India were linked to online financial fraud.
Criminals exploited a wide range of tactics—from fake investment platforms to QR code scams and phishing calls—to deceive victims and drain their savings.
Ankur Mishra from Delhi-NCR was another such victim. His father received a call from someone posing as a junior engineer from his government department, claiming a payment was due.
The scammer sent a voucher via WhatsApp. When Ankur scanned the QR code, ₹9,999 was deducted from his account.
The scammer reassured him it was a mistake and asked him to scan it again, leading to another deduction.
By the time Ankur realised what was happening, his bank had already begun flagging suspicious activity.
In another instance, Satyam, a young professional also from Delhi-NCR, received a distressing call.
A caller, claiming to be a hospital official, said a relative of his had been in an accident and urgently needed money.
Believing the story, Satyam transferred ₹5,000—the entirety of his account balance—before discovering the account was fake.
These are not isolated cases.
They are part of a growing pattern that highlights the broader vulnerabilities in India’s digital journey, where increasing connectivity is being exploited by sophisticated, fast-moving cybercriminals.
Advocate Sandeep Kumar Singh, a cybercrime lawyer who has handled over 500 cases, explains that these scams are constantly evolving.
“They offer small profits first, then ask for bigger amounts. Many victims never recover their money,” he said.
Tracking scammers is extremely difficult, he added, as they use fake IP addresses, anonymous SIM cards, and rapidly shifting bank accounts.
Recovery is possible in 40–60% of cases, but only if victims act swiftly, seek legal assistance, and remain persistent.
The deeper issue lies in digital illiteracy, inadequate cyber infrastructure, and unequal access to information.
Rural users, older adults, and people from low-income backgrounds often lack the skills to identify scams, making them particularly vulnerable.
Many fall prey while simply trying to earn a little extra or help someone in apparent distress.
“The official figures, although representative, only confirm the realities on the ground. There is a huge gap in security and threats that needs addressing on a war footing. Cybercrime-as-a-service in India came to the forefront in 2015, but a lack of awareness among agencies probing means that there is no specific classification. It has grown considerably, and we are not doing enough,” said Dr Pavan Duggal, a leading cyber law expert.
What is the government doing?
In response, the Indian government has ramped up its efforts.
Over ₹1,900 crore was allocated for cybersecurity in the 2025 Union Budget, up from ₹1,600 crore the previous year.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Telecommunications have launched initiatives such as the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) to assist law enforcement and the public.
Telecom fraud has been targeted with new systems to block international spoofed calls, leading to a 97% drop in such calls within months.
Despite these measures, experts warn that enforcement and awareness lag far behind the pace of digital adoption.
Cybercriminals are increasingly using advanced technologies—AI-driven phishing, fake apps mimicking government services, and malware that adapts to evade detection.
Brand impersonation, phishing, and fraudulent apps are projected to drive losses of ₹20,000 crores in 2025, with banking, e-commerce, and government services hardest hit.
“Cybercrime knows no geographical boundaries—it can happen anywhere in the world, and its impact is interconnected,” Parameshwara further added.
India’s legal framework for cybercrime remains patchy. While the IT Act and related laws exist, experts point out that most cybercrimes are still bailable, and convictions are rare.
Dr Pavan Duggal notes, “There is an implicit assumption among [cybercriminals] that they are anonymous in cyberspace… We need major capacity building so that crime detection and investigation can be done effectively.”
What, then, needs to change?
First and foremost, digital literacy and public awareness must be prioritised.
Nationwide campaigns, school curricula, and community workshops can teach citizens how to spot scams and protect themselves online.
Stronger cyber laws and more effective enforcement are also essential.
Specialised cybercrime courts, faster investigation, and stricter penalties are needed to deter criminals and ensure justice for victims.
Investment in robust cyber infrastructure for banks, telecoms, and government services is crucial to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Collaboration between government, industry, and academia can foster innovation and build capacity in cybersecurity.
India’s digital revolution has brought immense benefits, but it has also exposed millions to new dangers.
The challenge is clear: to ensure that the digital dream remains a force for empowerment, not exploitation.
(Sarthak Goswami is an intern at Invezz in New Delhi, currently pursuing a BA (Hons) in Journalism from Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi. He specialises in geopolitics, the economy, and new media, and is also the founder and editor of Beats in Brief and Queats Media.)
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