Chandigarh, June 27: The Punjab Police State Cyber Crime Division has frozen 63,749 bank accounts linked to online fraud, securing transactions valued at approximately Rs 540.34 crore. This extensive enforcement drive has successfully disrupted organized networks and facilitated the return of substantial defrauded amounts back to the public.
Since 2024, authorities have recovered and refunded nearly Rs 64 crore to victims, with Rs 38.42 crore retrieved since January 1, 2025. This coordinated action comes amid the registration of 62,253 cybercrime cases across the state, alongside a noted increase in the percentage of frozen fraud proceeds, which rose from 16.13 percent to 23.43 percent over the last financial year.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav affirmed the significance of these operational milestones.
“The crackdown against cyber fraud gangs has enabled the Punjab Police to freeze thousands of fraudulent accounts and recover defrauded money. It has also helped expose organised cybercrime networks operating across the country,” DGP Yadav declared.
The state police chief further maintained that detailed investigations have revealed intricate financial trails and inter-state linkages, allowing law enforcement to dismantle fraud networks effectively.
Regional data indicates that the Jalandhar Commissionerate secured the highest volume of frozen accounts at 16,032, leading to a recovery of Rs 6.81 crore. Kapurthala followed with 7,344 accounts and Rs 2.56 crore recovered, while Hoshiarpur saw 7,201 accounts frozen with a Rs 3.96 crore recovery. In Ferozepur, 6,930 accounts were frozen to recover Rs 93 lakh, and Tarn Taran accounted for 5,229 frozen accounts yielding Rs 6.97 crore.
Among recent operational successes, a major cyber-extortion case involving a Punjabi resident in Canada was resolved with the arrest of three individuals. Law enforcement recovered Rs 3.49 lakh alongside $500, while also seizing 29 mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, a dongle, and 38 phone boxes.
To reinforce preventative measures, the Cyber Crime Division has organized 129 awareness programmes across the state. Special DGP (Cyber Crime) V Neeraja asserted that these initiatives are designed to safeguard the public from evolving digital threats.
“The sustained enforcement drive, coupled with awareness campaigns, reflected the Punjab Police’s multi-pronged strategy to combat cybercrime and build confidence in digital transactions,” Special DGP Neeraja stated.
She added that officers are actively sensitizing youngsters regarding the dangers of online grooming, cyberbullying, sextortion, fake friendships, and gaming platforms that might lead to sharing sensitive personal information.
