Lucknow: With 1,292 cases of cybercrime during the year, Lucknow reported four cases every day and roughly one every seven hours, according to NCRB-2024 report.Although the number of cases declined from 1,453 in 2023 to 1,292 in 2024, Lucknow recorded a rate of 44.5 cases per lakh population in 2024, placing it at the fifth spot among metropolitan cities in India in terms of cybercrime intensity.Among the 19 metropolitan cities with populations above 20 lakh, Lucknow ranked fifth in cybercrime rate after Bengaluru (206.6), Hyderabad (51.7), Patna (31.4) and Pune (29.8) in terms of total cybercrime exposure relative to population. Within Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow recorded significantly higher cybercrime numbers than other major cities. Ghaziabad reported 479 cybercrime cases in 2024, while Kanpur recorded 449.Ransomware attack in city recorded 66 cases which is maximum amongst the 19 cities listed in NCRB.Only Bengaluru, India’s technology hub, reported a comparable ransomware burden with 59 ransomware cases, while Hyderabad recorded 12 cases.Cyber expert and former IPS officer, Triveni Singh, said the rise in ransomware incidents in Lucknow reflects targeting of businesses, institutions and individual users through malicious software, phishing emails and compromised digital networks.“Ransomware has emerged as a serious threat to individuals, businesses, and governments,” he added.At least 952 cases were related to cyber fraud, nearly 74% of all cybercrime cases reported in the city during the year. Investigators said these offences included online banking frauds, phishing scams, fake investment schemes, digital arrest scams, OTP frauds, impersonation rackets and social media cheating cases.Lucknow recorded 184 cyber extortion cases in 2024, one of the highest figures among metropolitan cities in India. Another 144 cases in Lucknow were registered under the category of “causing disrepute”, indicating growing misuse of digital platforms for online humiliation, fake profile creation, character assassination and circulation of objectionable content.Lucknow also recorded 12 cybercrime cases linked to sexual exploitation in 2024.Unlike several other metropolitan cities, Lucknow reported no cases linked to terrorist activities, political motives, illegal drug trade or inciting hatred against the country through cyberspace.Officials said cyber police stations, digital forensic units and technical surveillance teams are being strengthened to tackle the growing volume of cyber frauds, sextortion rackets and social media-linked crimes.
