FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing receives over 639,000 complaints in five years

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing has received over 639,000 complaints between 2020 and 2024.

According to a report presented to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Interior, FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing received over 639,000 complaints between 2020 and 2024. The complaints include issues such as online harassment, fraud, and various scams, the Cyber Crime Wing sources told Hum Investigation team.

Out of the total complaints, 414,260 were verified, leading to 73,825 inquiries and the filing of 5,713 cases in court. During this period, 7,020 suspects were arrested, and 222 individuals were convicted.

Despite the FIA’s efforts to address these crimes, including investigations, arrests, and court cases, the sheer volume of complaints highlights the severity of the problem and raises questions about the effectiveness of current measures in combating this digital threat. Besides, while there was a 22 percent declined in complaints in 2024, this declined does not essentially indicate a decrease in cybercrime activity but could instead point to underreporting or other systemic challenges within the law enforcement framework.

According to the details, in 2020, out of 102,000 complaints, 98,882 were verified, resulting in 9,112 inquiries, 601 cases, 625 arrests, and 20 convictions. In 2021, out of 115,868 complaints, 80,803 were verified, leading to 15,766 inquiries, 1,224 cases, 1,306 arrests, and 38 convictions. Moreover, in 2022, out of 145,667 complaints, 83,552 were verified, resulting in 14,380 inquiries, 1,469 cases, 1,700 arrests, and 48 convictions.

In addition, in 2023, out of 152,136 complaints, 82,396 were verified, leading to 18,012 inquiries, 1,375 cases, 2,007 arrests, and 92 convictions.

In the previous year 2024, out of 123,893 complaints, 68,627 were verified, resulting in 16,555 inquiries, 1,044 cases, 1,382 arrests, and 24 convictions. FIA sources stated that the decrease in complaints was due to the parties involved reaching settlements, which led to a lower ratio of convictions.

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