Cybercrime cases surge six-fold in Nepal over past five years

KATHMANDU: Over the past five years, cybercrime cases in Nepal have surged by six-fold, according to data from the Nepal Police Headquarters Cyber Bureau.

In the fiscal year 2076/77 BS, the bureau received 2,301 applications, whereas in the current fiscal year, 12,789 applications were recorded up to March 7.

Similarly, there were 3,906 applications lodged in 2077/78, 4,686 in 2078/79, and 9,013 in 2079/80, as shared by the police headquarters.

Of the total 12,789 applications received until March 6 of the current fiscal year, 164 were from boys, 242 from girls, 5,703 from women, 6,177 from men, and 503 from others, according to Superintendent of Police and spokesperson of the cyber bureau, Deepak Raj Awasthi.

Awasthi highlighted the rise in cases of financial fraud, alongside other forms of cybercrimes such as online fraud, dissemination of obscene materials on social media platforms, identity theft, and website hacking.

The prevailing trend of cybercrime encompasses techniques like digitally altering people's faces onto explicit images, sharing obscene content on social media platforms, extortion through data control, impersonating individuals on social media platforms, and infiltrating government and organizational websites.

The surge in cybercrimes underscores the growing need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and public awareness to combat this evolving threat landscape.