Kerala: As tech gives cyber criminals new boost, cops brace for task at hand

KOCHI: The recent swindling of Rs 25,000 from the official account of the Thiruvananthapuram commissioner’s office sums up 2023, as cyber crime and online cheating have spiked even as authorities look to come to terms with new and evolving modus operandi. More alarmingly, the year also saw the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI)-backed deepfake technology by fraudsters.

There were 2,478 cyber cases registered till October this year, a threefold jump compared with 773 in 2022, according to data with Kerala police. In 2021, 626 cases were reported.