Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhyankar Saturday said the number of cyberattacks, especially financial fraud, shot up abruptly last year, but the trend seems to have slowed down this year owing to a series of countermeasures.
Speaking to reporters at the Tripura Police headquarters, the DGP said, “Digital convenience has made life easier but also opened the door for a plethora of cybercrimes – all of which are borderless, faceless and constantly evolving. Any cybercriminal can target an innocent citizen in Tripura sitting far away, and people often realise it way too late. It’s one of the fastest-growing threats to individuals and governments. Tripura isn’t immune to these challenges either. As per reports of the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), which has been active since 2021, India sustained financial losses of Rs 22,800 crore last year, which was 206 per cent higher than the Rs 7,400 crore financial loss faced in 2023.”
He said the Tripura Police identified online money fraud worth Rs 46.96 crore since 2021 in the state, out of which the authorities were able to secure Rs 5.2 crore and have already handed back Rs 34 lakh to the victims. The cops have also recovered details of 20,387 bank accounts involved in these cybercrime attacks. But most of these were mule accounts – bank accounts created by duping poor people and using their personal credentials and mobile phone details without their knowledge.
Stating that cybercrime is on the rise nationally, the DGP, who had earlier worked at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said, “India sustained total money fraud of Rs 1.98 crore in 2021; the figures rose to Rs 4.62 crore in 2022, Rs 9 crore in 2023, and registered a massive spike (crossing the Rs 25-crore mark) in 2024. However, the trend has declined as the quantum of losses has significantly slowed down, with Rs 10.36 crore cyberfraud financial loss sustained till July 31 this year.”
In Tripura, he said the police have taken a series of steps, including launching the first dedicated cybercrime police station.
DGP Dhyankar urged people not to fall for “unbelievably lucrative offers of financial gain online”. He also asked them not to install unverified mobile apps, share OTP or personal details over the phone, or entertain unknown people on social media to avoid cybercrime attacks.
“If anyone has fallen victim to any sort of cybercrime, they should immediately contact the cybercrime police station or their nearest police station and call the state police’s emergency number 112 or the national cybercrime helpline (1930),” he said.
