Cybercrime in Nepal has exploded over the past five years, with complaints rising more than sixfold. In the fiscal year 2019-20, the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau recorded just over 2,300 complaints. By 2024, that figure soared to 19,730.

The spike reflects both the growing digital footprint of Nepalis and the expanding tactics of online criminals.

Most of these crimes are rooted in social media platforms. Platforms like Facebook, Messenger, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram have become hotspots for cybercrime cases.

Among them, Facebook and its Messenger app remain the most exploited over the last six years.

These include a wide range of crimes like harassment, defamation, sextortion, hacking, cyberbullying, stalking, website defacement, banking and financial crimes, online child exploitation, and various forms of online scams. Facebook and Messenger consistently account for the largest share of these diverse incidents.

Back in fiscal year 2018-19, cases tied to the platform were relatively low at 343. But the numbers saw a steady climb, crossing 2,200 the following year, 3,400 a year later, and then nearly 4,000 by 2021-22.

By 2022-23, Facebook-related cases jumped to 6,782. And just a year later, in 2023-24, the platform saw a huge spike, with 16,096 reported incidents.

As of early April this fiscal year, the number already stands at 7,358, making it clear that Facebook still remains the central hub of cybercrime in Nepal.

But the dynamics are changing, and Facebook and Messenger are not the only players in the market.

TikTok, once a minor presence, emerged as the second most-used platform for cybercrime in 2020-21 with 70 cases, behind Facebook, but ahead of other platforms.

In the following year, TikTok cases more than tripled to 233, and the platform held its second-place rank again in 2022-23 with 721 cases.

WhatsApp, which had only two registered cases in 2019-20, has also seen a major rise. By 2021-22, it was involved in 96 cases, then jumped to 285 in 2022-23, and reached 981 last year.

Instagram, meanwhile, is catching up too.

In 2021-22, it ranked fourth with 76 cases, then moved to third place with 551 in 2022-23. It overtook TikTok in 2023-24 with 1,114 cases, becoming the second most-used platform for cybercrime that year.

However, the race continues to shift. In the current fiscal year, after Facebook, WhatsApp has edged ahead with 1,630 complaints, closely followed by TikTok with 1,533.

Telegram has also entered the picture strongly, recording 1,348 cases, more than Instagram, which has slipped to fifth place with 842.

While Facebook continues to be the most misused platform overall, Telegram and WhatsApp have emerged as the top platforms for online scams and fraud, making them the go-to tools for cybercriminals targeting victims for money.

For instance, in online investment and lottery scams, romance or sex scams, fake flat or property deals, employment scams, and online shopping frauds, these platforms are at the top.

“These trends show that while Facebook still dominates, other platforms are catching up fast,” said Deepak Raj Awasthi, spokesperson for the Cyber Bureau. “As people migrate to different apps, so do the cyber abusers.”

The surge is not only in volume but in victim diversity. Complaints from gender minorities have grown over time. In 2019-20, only 82 cases were filed under the ‘other’ gender category.

Last year, this number jumped to 767. In the current fiscal year alone, until April 10, there have already been 294 such cases. The Bureau classifies victims under categories like boy, girl, man, woman, and other.

The nature of cybercrime itself is evolving.

Some of the most common trends today, as per the bureau, are photo mutilation, revenge porn, ransomware attacks, impersonation, and hacking.

The bureau also flagged a new pattern of AI-led character assassination and the spread of obscene content.

Despite the growing threat, the Bureau is struggling to keep pace. “Our biggest challenges are a lack of advanced tracking software, a shortage of skilled IT personnel, and a point of contact office of Meta and other tech platforms in Nepal,” Awasthi said.

He also pointed to the absence of mutual legal assistance treaties with other countries, which hampers the investigation of cross-border cybercrime.

While Facebook remains the most misused platform, others like TikTok, WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram are closing in fast. Without strong technical infrastructure and international cooperation, the gap between crime and justice can only widen.