Cybercrime epidemic

While the country continues to bridge the digital divide and hobble into the 21st century, criminals are at the bleeding edge of technology, scamming people out of billions of rupees through various hacks and scams. Lawmakers recently revealed that a record 150,542 cybercrime complaints were registered in 2025 alone, with financial fraud dominating. It is also worth noting that many victims do not register cases, either due to lack of procedural knowledge or awareness, or out of embarrassment.

Of those who do file cases, only a handful actually see any action taken. A paltry 851 of the complaints became formal cases, and only 31 convictions were announced, despite the existence of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) which was supposed to make it easier to pursue cybercriminals.

Unfortunately, while criminals are utilising sophisticated attacks like WhatsApp hacking and voice-cloning scams, the government is using the full force of PECA to go after 'fake news' peddlers and social media pundits, diverting resources from actual financial crimes to investigating perceived sleights. Still, the brewing national emergency has put us on a path that requires a recalibration. Resources must be scaled toward capacity building and public awareness, including through initiatives such as the NCCIA portal.

The legal focus must remain squarely on fraud, harassment and crimes against women. Podcasters and other social media stars may not be long-term role models, but they are often nothing more than an annoyance. Compare this to cybercriminals, who may be making off with millions from people who do not know or understand the risks.

Prioritising the right crimes is critical to helping the country address ingrained issues; otherwise, scammers will keep hitting the elderly with little chance of reporting, as resources will be tied up elsewhere.