Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Nearly every second crime in Uzbekistan involves the use of information technology, while around 90% of cybercrimes are cross-border and committed from abroad, Deputy Interior Minister Ramazon Ashrapov said on 7 October in an address to the public.
According to him, behind the statistics are funds earned by thousands of citizens, the well-being of their families and their personal security. Ashrapov stressed that law enforcement efforts alone are not enough to combat cybercrime.
The deputy minister noted that fraudsters mainly exploit people’s trust, carelessness and insufficient digital literacy.
He called on the public to follow basic cybersecurity rules and explain them to children and elderly relatives.
In particular, citizens are advised not to open or download suspicious or unknown files from social networks, especially APK files, even when they are sent by someone they know.
People should also exercise caution when receiving calls from unknown numbers from individuals claiming to represent government agencies or other organisations and requesting codes or passwords.
The Interior Ministry urged citizens not to trust online platforms and fake websites promising to multiply investments several times over a short period. For online purchases, people are advised not to make advance payments before checking the seller’s reliability.
Citizens were also reminded not to disclose bank card PIN codes or SMS codes received on their phones to other people.
The year 2026 has been declared the “Year of Combating Cybercrime” within Uzbekistan’s Interior Ministry system. According to the ministry, more than 9,000 cybercrimes were solved in the first half of the year, while losses totalling 120.49 billion soums were recovered for more than 13,000 citizens.
In January, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that the Interior Ministry’s Cybercrime Department, established three years earlier, had not produced tangible results in its work.
