Kathmandu – Nepal is increasingly becoming a hotspot for foreigners engaged in financial crimes, with data from Nepal Police showing a dramatic rise in foreign involvement in such offenses over the past three years. According to official statistics, the involvement of foreign nationals in financial crimes in Nepal has soared by 433 percent during this period.

This trend indicates that Nepal is evolving into a ‘playground’ for foreign criminals exploiting the country’s financial systems. The data, spanning the past three fiscal years, reveals a steady rise in the number of foreign individuals implicated in these crimes.

In the fiscal year 2079/80 (2022/23), six foreign nationals were found involved in financial crimes. Of these, three committed fraud via social media, while the other three were involved in scams.

The situation worsened in the fiscal year 2080/81 (2023/24), with 25 foreign nationals implicated. These included:

• 1 involved in social media fraud
• 6 in online mobile banking scams
• 3 in general fraud
• 1 in phishing
• 14 in other types of financial crimes

As of Magh (mid-January) in the current fiscal year 2081/82 (2024/25), 32 foreigners have already been arrested for their involvement in financial crimes. This includes 19 men and 13 women.

A closer breakdown reveals:

• 1 woman in social media-related fraud
• 12 men and 3 women in online mobile banking fraud
• 1 woman in online shopping scams
• 1 woman in online payment fraud through platforms like eSewa and PhonePay
• 7 men and 7 women involved in other types of financial offenses

The data highlights the urgent need for stricter monitoring and regulatory mechanisms to prevent Nepal from becoming a safe haven for international financial criminals.