Chandigarh: Punjab Police’s State Cyber Crime Division has frozen 63,749 bank accounts linked to cyber fraud involving transactions worth more than ₹540.34 crore over the past year, while recovering and refunding nearly ₹64 crore to victims since 2024.
Sharing the details, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the prompt freezing of suspected bank accounts has prevented cybercriminals from siphoning off stolen funds, disrupted organised fraud networks and significantly improved the recovery of money for victims.
Since January 1, 2025, the Cyber Crime Division has recovered ₹38.42 crore, while 62,253 cybercrime cases have been registered across Punjab. The percentage of fraud proceeds successfully frozen has also increased from 16.13 per cent to 23.43 per cent over the past financial year.
The DGP said investigators have uncovered organised cybercrime syndicates by tracing financial transactions, analysing operational methods and identifying inter-state linkages using advanced technology and financial intelligence.
Among the districts, Jalandhar Commissionerate recorded the highest number of frozen bank accounts at 16,032, followed by Kapurthala (7,344), Hoshiarpur (7,201) and Ferozepur (6,930).
Highlighting a recent success, Yadav said the Cyber Crime Division solved a cyber extortion case involving a Canada-based Punjabi victim. Three accused were arrested, and police recovered ₹3.49 lakh, 500 US dollars, 29 mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, a dongle and other digital evidence.
Special DGP (Cyber Crime) V. Neeraja said Punjab Police is adopting a two-pronged strategy of strict enforcement and public awareness to tackle cybercrime. The department has been conducting awareness campaigns across the state to educate people about online fraud, cyberbullying, sextortion, fake social media friendships and gaming-related scams.
She said the combined focus on enforcement and awareness reflects Punjab Police’s commitment to protecting citizens from cyber fraud and strengthening public confidence in digital transactions.
