Raise your guard against rising threat of cybercrime

Meghalaya’s misty hills mask a growing, glass-screen menace. As smartphones and internet access become routine across the state, cybercrime has quietly moved from urban inboxes into living rooms. According to the Meghalaya police data, crimes under the IT Act have increased by about 32% between 2014 and 2023, with a significant spike during the two years of the pandemic.

Of course, cyber offences in Meghalaya are relatively few compared to national numbers; the rising trend shows that the virtual world is encroaching on our lives.

A national wave; a local ripple

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics show that the crime rate under this category increased from 4.8 in 2022 to 6.2 in 2023. In 2023, about 5% of the cybercrime cases registered nationwide were related to sexual exploitation, making women particularly vulnerable victims of the darker side of the internet.

Meghalaya has a smaller absolute number of cyber FIRs compared to big states. But small case-counts can be deceptive: low reporting, social stigma and unfamiliarity with cyber processes mean many offences — especially those that prey on shame or trust — never make it into government statistics.

Danger looms large

A few recent reports will show how diverse and damaging cybercrime is turning in Meghalaya.

A Ponzi operation affected more than 700 people from Meghalaya, leaving families bereft of savings and trust. It only shows how financial fraudsters are exploiting the appetite for higher returns and limited local financial literacy.

In another case, four from Meghalaya were recently arrested in Bengaluru in a fake call centre case.

Financial fraud in Meghalaya has also increased in the past two years. The reported financial losses in 2024 were to the tune of Rs 32 crore as against Rs 4.2 crore in 2023 — a shocking 662% jump in just one year. So far, this year, the amount reported is Rs 9 crore. A source in the police department say by the end of the calendar year, “we expect a significant decline as compared to last year”.

Police advisories have flagged a surge in calls where victims are told they face legal action or seizures unless they cooperate — a classic social-engineering play designed to shock people into transferring money or revealing data.

These cases make clear that cybercrime in Meghalaya is not an abstract risk anymore.

As in the real world, so in the virtual world, women are the most vulnerable. Social media and dating app approaches, image-based abuse, threats and blackmail are becoming common on the internet.

Recently, a woman in Shillong lodged a police complaint that two fake Facebook accounts were created with her photographs. Not only that, but inappropriate messages and video calls were sent from those fake accounts to one of the victim’s followers on Instagram.

Social pressure, fear of reputational harm and limited digital-legal literacy all discourage reporting, which in turn allows predators to operate with impunity.

If we compare Meghalaya with Assam, then the number of cybercrimes is still low here. However, it does not mean that we will be lax in gearing ourselves up against the worst social engineers, because prevention is the most effective defence.

Trust is precious in today’s world, and we need to be judicious about it. Whether it is accepting a friend request from an unknown person on social media, a WhatsApp message with a lucrative offer, an offer for a loan at the cheapest interest rate or an intimidating call from the Enforcement Directorate, one has to be careful before making the next move.

Meghalaya police are also taking measures to make citizens aware of cybercrime. There are offline and online campaigns to promote digital literacy. A dedicated police station has also been set up for cybercrime cases. Sources in the department say that the state is technologically well-equipped to handle evolving cyber offences. Of course, there is no data on the conviction rate so far, but apparently, there are signs of improvement in the scenario.

The shape of cybercrime in Meghalaya is familiar: a blend of opportunistic fraud, social-engineering scams and forms of sexual exploitation that follow the patterns flagged by NCRB nationally. The challenge for Meghalaya is not simply reducing numbers on a page; it is lowering harm by making reporting easy and stigma-free. With every failed call to ensnare a family or an individual and every reported Ponzi scheme, Meghalaya moves a step closer to turning a community strength into a digital strength.