KATHMANDU: More than 20,500 complaints related to cybercrime were registered with the Nepal Police in the last fiscal year, with authorities reporting a rise in the misuse of social media and online platforms for fraud and other offenses.
According to the Central Police Newsroom, 20,526 cybercrime-related complaints were registered from the beginning of fiscal year 2025/26 through the end of Ashadh. During the same period, 161 cybercrime cases were registered and 155 people were arrested.
Among the complaints, 7,123 were related to the misuse of Facebook and Messenger, 6,776 to TikTok, 3,105 to WhatsApp, 1,031 to Telegram and 628 to Instagram.
Similarly, 114 complaints were related to email, 21 to Viber, 38 to IMO, 64 to YouTube, 14 to WeChat, 11 each to Twitter and Google, and 744 to eSewa, Khalti, bank accounts and SMS-related fraud. A total of 846 complaints were related to institutions.
The number of cybercrime complaints has increased compared to the previous fiscal year. Police had received 18,926 complaints in fiscal year 2024/25 and 19,730 in fiscal year 2023/24.
Cyber Bureau spokesperson Superintendent of Police Dilip Kumar Giri said the misuse of social media has increased alongside its growing use.
According to Giri, complaints filed over the past two fiscal years show a rise in several forms of online fraud.
These include fraudsters posing as representatives of banks and digital wallets to gain access to victims’ accounts, scams involving fake gifts, lotteries and parcels, romance scams, fraudulent offers of foreign employment and fake online job opportunities promoted through Telegram, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Online shopping scams have also become increasingly common, he said.
Recent cases illustrate the range of cyber offenses being investigated by the authorities.
Nuwakot resident Surendra Prasad Khanal, 34, was arrested on July 11 for allegedly sending obscene messages through email and defaming a woman.
Similarly, 19-year-old Bibek Sunar of Nuwakot was arrested on July 9 for allegedly hacking a Facebook account and using unauthorized access to commit fraud.
Police also arrested 22-year-old Shubham Sah of Rautahat on June 17 for allegedly posing as an eSewa employee to defraud people.
Police said these individuals represent only a fraction of those involved in cybercrime.
The Cyber Bureau has been working to bring suspects involved in blackmail, online fraud, scams and unauthorized access to software source codes under the legal framework, despite limited resources, by making maximum use of available technology.
Police said the emergence of new methods of crime through the misuse of technology has made criminal investigations increasingly challenging.
The Cyber Bureau was established following a decision of the Nepal government on June 10, 2018, with the objective of preventing and investigating crimes committed through technology.
Authorities have been working to equip the bureau with advanced technology, enhance the cybercrime and cybersecurity capabilities of police personnel, and increase public awareness about cyber safety.
The Nepal Police has continued efforts to prevent and investigate crimes committed through the misuse of technology.
Individuals involved in cybercrime are prosecuted under the Electronic Transactions Act, 2006.
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