Chandigarh: Cyber criminals have swindled residents of the City Beautiful of Rs 46 crore in just over five months of 2026, surpassing the Rs 44 crore lost in the entire 2025, pointing to a sharp surge in online fraud. The rising trend is reflected in complaints as well, with the Cyber Police Station receiving 4,280 complaints between January 1 and June 6, raising concern over the growing scale of cybercrime in the city.
Police Response and Arrests
According to Chandigarh police’s cyber wing, 80 FIRs across various cybercrime categories were registered during the same period. Police teams conducted raids across 11 states and arrested 74 alleged cyber fraudsters in the first five months of the year. Cyber police data shows that residents collectively lost Rs 45.91 crore to online frauds. However, officials claimed that timely intervention and coordination with banks and other stakeholders helped freeze or recover Rs 7.02 crore.
The arrested accused were traced to multiple states and UTs, including Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Karnataka. Among them, 18 accused each were arrested from Chandigarh and Punjab, 11 from Haryana and six from Delhi. Five arrests were made in Rajasthan, four each in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, three in West Bengal and two in Karnataka. One accused each was apprehended from Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya and Jharkhand.
Awareness Campaigns
Police said awareness remains key to preventing cyber frauds. DSP (Cyber) Vikas Seokand said multiple awareness drives were conducted under the Cyber Swachhta Mission to educate students, citizens and senior citizens. So far this year, 138 awareness sessions have been held in schools and colleges, reaching 23,677 people, including senior citizens, on cyber threats such as digital arrest scams, phishing and other online frauds. Cyber awareness videos are also being screened in cinema halls, while a dedicated awareness van equipped with LED displays and audio systems is being deployed across the city to spread information on cyber safety.
- If you become a victim of any kind of Cyber Crime – immediately report it to Police by calling National Cyber Helpline Number 1930, 112 or make a complaint through website www.cybercrime.gov.in
- Follow Chandigarh Police Social Media Handles: Instagram: chandigarhpolice.cybercell, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChandigarhCyberCrime, Twitter: @ChdCyberCell
You can also check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh, Silver Rate in Chandigarh, Bank Holidays in Chandigarh, Public Holidays in Chandigarh, Chandigarh AQI, Weather in Chandigarh, Petrol Price in Chandigarh, Diesel Price in Chandigarh, CNG Price in Chandigarh, LPG Price in Chandigarh.
About the Author: Pawan Tiwari is a Principal Correspondent and joined The Times of India in 2017. He covers crime and district courts of Chandigarh. He loves traveling, trekking and leafing through books.
