Rs 114 cr in just a year, cybercriminals make a killing in Himachal

Cybercrime has become a major threat in Himachal Pradesh with people of the state having been reportedly duped of nearly Rs 114 crore in the past one year.

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According to the cyber cell of the state, one in three persons in the state is being targeted by cybercriminals.

Data has revealed that over the past five years (up to April 2025), as many as 39,072 cybercrime complaints were registered in the state, of which around 22,000 pertained to financial frauds.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG), State CID Cybercrime, Mohit Chawla said, “Cyber fraudsters do not spare anyone. Senior citizens and women are the most vulnerable and are frequently targeted and duped by the fraudsters. The scammers dupe people by using various tactics such as digital arrest, sextortion, offering exorbitant returns through investment in stocks and crypto currency markets, and lotteries.”

“The only way one can keep oneself safe from these criminals is by being cautious and aware about cybercrimes and the tactics being used by them,” he said.

The police have asked people to be cautious and avoid clicking on unknown and suspicious links, besides refraining from sharing sensitive information, whether personal or financial, with anyone.

People have also been advised to avoid taking calls from suspicious numbers and to frequently change their passwords.

The police have asked people to immediately report any cybercrime on the toll-free helpline number 1930 for quick redressal.

At present, around 350 to 400 complaints of cybercrime are being reported daily in the state.

To curb the rising cybercrime, the police have taken several steps such as the deployment of cyber commandos across the state and setting up a set up a state-of-the-art cyber forensic lab — “i-Crack” (Investigation-Aided Cyber Forensic Repository Analysis and Core Keyframe).