Kathmandu: As the use of the internet and information technology continues to grow, so do the number of cyber crime complaints in Nepal. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has reported a significant rise in such incidents, with over 6,500 complaints filed since mid-April 2024 alone.

According to CIB spokesperson Superintendent of Police (SP) Deepak Raj Awasthi, a total of 6,702 cyber crime complaints were registered as of November 19, 2024. The growing trend of criminal activity through the internet has raised alarms, with social media platforms accounting for the highest number of complaints.

Of the 6,702 complaints filed this year, 3,949 were related to Facebook, 1,282 to Instagram, and 759 to WhatsApp. Additionally, there were 356 complaints related to TikTok, 151 to e-Sewa, 41 from email, and smaller numbers from other platforms such as Viber, X, YouTube, websites, and IMO.

The increase in cyber crime complaints is part of a broader trend. Data from the CIB reveals that the total number of cyber crime cases has more than doubled in the last fiscal year. In 2022/23, a total of 9,013 complaints were filed with the CIB. That figure skyrocketed to 19,730 in the fiscal year 2023/24.

Comparatively, in the previous years, the number of cyber crime complaints was much lower. In the fiscal years 2020/21 and 2021/22, there were 3,906 and 4,686 complaints, respectively. The number of registered cases also grew from 76 in 2020 to 132 in 2021, and 127 in 2022.

The complaints include a range of criminal activities such as online fraud, character assassination, breaches of privacy, and the distribution of pornographic material. The rise in these offenses highlights the growing challenges law enforcement faces as internet-based crimes become more prevalent.

The CIB and other authorities continue to urge the public to be more vigilant and report any suspicious or criminal online activities to help curb the rising tide of cyber crimes in Nepal.