Mumbai Cyber Crimes Decline, but Conviction Rates Remain Dismal

According to the NCRB report, Mumbai witnessed an 11.7% decrease in registered cyber offences in 2023, with 4,131 cases compared to 4,724 in 2022. However, experts have expressed doubts over the declining trend, particularly in areas such as credit card and online frauds.

The report also revealed that while the National Cyber Crime Portal (NCCP) received nearly 21 lakh cyber complaints online in India, just 42,868 FIRs were registered by the police, accounting for only 2% of the total cases. This low conversion rate of complaints into FIRs suggests a lack of deterrence, possibly due to the absence of specialized cyber courts and public prosecutors, leading to delays and inefficiencies.

Further, RTI data obtained by a resident of Kalyan showed that out of 2,002 cyber financial fraud cases registered across Mumbai's four cyber police stations between 2021 and 2025, only two resulted in convictions, both in 2021. This dismal conviction rate indicates a need for stronger measures to address the growing threat of cyber crimes in the city.

A senior IPS officer acknowledged the challenges faced by the Mumbai cyber police, including trans-jurisdictional crimes, delayed reporting, and complex digital evidence. The officer emphasized the need for real-time cybercrime reporting portals, faster intermediary data sharing, and AI-based fraud detection tools to improve the situation.