Global cybercrime surge: Pakistanis, Indians seek FBI help as funds flow abroad

In a year marked by record-breaking cybercrime losses, citizens of Pakistan and India are increasingly reaching out to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for assistance against growing cyber-enabled threats.

The FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report reveals that Pakistan ranked among the top 20 foreign countries for submitting cybercrime complaints, with 979 cases officially filed.

Meanwhile, India also showed significant activity. According to the report, 4,189 complaints were filed by Indians to the FBI, reflecting growing concern over cybercrimes impacting Indians globally.

However, while more individuals are coming forward, the global problem of illicit money transfers remains serious. According to the report, fraudulent funds are being routed most heavily to a small group of countries. The top destinations for fraudulent wire transactions in 2024 were Hong Kong, Vietnam, Mexico, Philippines, and India.

These five countries accounted for thousands of illegal transactions, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in international financial systems.

In particular, India emerged as a major recipient of fraudulent funds. The FBI, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), reported collaborating closely with India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to tackle cross-border scams, particularly those operated through call centers impersonating tech support services and government officials

Globally, the scale of cybercrime is staggering. In 2024, 859,532 complaints were reported to the FBI, $16.6 billion was lost to cybercrime — a 33% increase from 2023, and cyber-enabled frauds accounted for 83% of all financial losses.

Cryptocurrency scams alone resulted in $9.3 billion in losses, with senior citizens suffering the highest losses across all crime categories.