Telangana Sees Rise in Crimes Against Foreigners as Cybercrime Surges Across India
NCRB 2024 data revealed rising crimes against foreigners and a sharp increase in cybercrime cases, with Telangana and Hyderabad emerging among the most affected regions nationwide.
- Telangana records rise in crimes against foreigners
- Hyderabad remains major cybercrime hotspot
- NCRB report shows cybercrime surge in India
India witnessed a noticeable rise in crimes against foreigners during 2024, according to the latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau. Telangana also reported a sharp increase in such offences, while cybercrime continued to grow rapidly across the country, especially in Hyderabad and other urban centres.
The NCRB data showed that India recorded 257 crimes against foreign nationals in 2024, compared to 238 cases in 2023. Telangana alone reported 15 such cases during the year, a major increase from just five cases registered the previous year. Officials noted that theft, assault, rape, murder and trafficking related offences were among the major crimes reported against foreigners.
While crimes against foreign nationals increased, the report also highlighted a separate trend involving offences committed by foreigners. Across India, 2,792 cases were registered against foreign nationals, with most linked to violations under the Foreigners Act, Passport Act and narcotics laws.
Among Indian states, Maharashtra reported the highest number of crimes against foreigners with 41 cases, followed by Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. Telangana ranked sixth with 15 cases. NCRB figures also showed that Delhi alone accounted for a large share of such incidents among Union Territories.
Investigators pointed out that many foreign victims were migrant workers, trafficking survivors and vulnerable individuals from neighbouring countries rather than tourists alone. Nepal recorded the highest number of victims, followed by Bangladesh, Myanmar and the United States.
The report further revealed that theft remained the most common crime against foreigners across India during 2024. Authorities also recorded rape, murder, kidnapping and trafficking related cases involving foreign nationals in different parts of the country.
At the same time, cybercrime emerged as one of India’s fastest growing criminal threats. The NCRB stated that more than 1,01,000 cybercrime cases were registered nationwide during 2024, marking a steep rise from the previous year.
Telangana continued to remain one of the country’s biggest cybercrime hotspots, recording 27,230 cyber related offences. Hyderabad alone accounted for 4,009 cases, placing the city among the leading metropolitan areas affected by digital fraud and online scams.
Police investigations found that investment frauds, fake stock trading applications, phishing attacks, digital arrest scams and impersonation frauds were among the most common cyber offences reported in Telangana. Authorities also traced several organised scam networks operating from Southeast Asian countries that allegedly targeted victims in Hyderabad through fake police calls and online investment schemes.
Cybercrime investigators warned that scammers increasingly rely on psychological manipulation and leaked personal information collected from websites, shopping platforms and social media. Experts advised people to avoid clicking suspicious links and to remain cautious while sharing personal data online.
The NCRB report also noted that despite an overall decline in total cognisable crimes across India during 2024, offences involving cyber fraud, crimes against children and crimes against senior citizens continued to rise steadily.
Officials said the rapid expansion of digital payments and online financial activity has created new opportunities for organised cybercriminals, making awareness and cyber safety more important than ever before.
