Public fear and mistrust in authority fuel cybercrime rise, report reveals

The Status of Policing in India Report 2026 by Lokniti-CSDS and Common Cause revealed that fear of authority and public governance mistrust drive victims toward crimes like digital arrest.

Based on a survey across 16 states, the study highlighted that perpetrators rely heavily on social engineering, deception, and organized criminal networks trading leaked data.

The report found that 72% of financial cybercrime victims failed to recover lost money, while only 23% believe police are well-equipped to handle such cases.