In a significant crackdown on online crime, the cyber crime police station in Ghaziabad has successfully recovered and returned approximately Rs 19 crore to victims of digital fraud this year. The police action comes amidst a sharp rise in sophisticated cyber scams plaguing the city's residents.
Staggering Scale of Cyber Fraud in Ghaziabad
Official data reveals the alarming extent of cybercrime in the region. Until December 25, a total of 264 cyber fraud cases were registered with the Ghaziabad police. The cumulative financial loss from these cases exceeded a staggering Rs 85 crore. Among the various types of fraud, share-trading scams emerged as the most prevalent and damaging.
These investment frauds accounted for 122 cases, with victims collectively losing about Rs 56 crore. Through diligent investigation and coordination with banks, the police managed to return Rs 13.9 crore to those affected by share-trading scams.
Breakdown of Major Fraud Categories and Recoveries
The cyber police provided a detailed categorization of the cases. Apart from trading fraud, other major schemes included task-based fraud, digital arrest, and phone hacking.
In 54 cases of task fraud, where victims are lured with promises of earning money by completing simple online tasks, the losses amounted to over Rs 7 crore. Authorities recovered and returned Rs 1.3 crore in this category.
A particularly distressing trend was the 14 cases of digital arrest. In these scams, fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials, threaten victims with arrest over false allegations, and extort money. Losses here crossed Rs 7.9 crore, with police recovering over Rs 50 lakh.
Furthermore, 23 cases involved phone hacking or customer care fraud, leading to losses of over Rs 1.9 crore. The cyber cell successfully returned Rs 50 lakh to these victims.
How Police Freeze and Recover Stolen Funds
Explaining the recovery process, a senior police officer outlined the standard protocol. "In such cases, most of the time, the fraudsters quickly transfer the stolen money to multiple bank accounts," the officer stated. "As soon as we receive a complaint, our team immediately contacts the relevant banks to freeze the existing amount in those accounts."
Once the funds are frozen, the police file a formal case with the bank to initiate the withdrawal process. The final step involves obtaining approval from the court, after which the money is legally returned to the victim. To streamline this critical function, a dedicated team has been formed at the cyber police station.
Notable High-Value Cases and Enhanced Police Response
The year saw some exceptionally large frauds. In one prominent case, a civil contractor from Vasundhara, Tejpal Singh, was cheated of Rs 5 crore by fraudsters promising profits from trading and IPO investments. In another shocking incident, an elderly couple lost Rs 2.7 crore after being digitally arrested by criminals who falsely accused them of money laundering.
In response to the escalating threat, Piyush Kumar Singh, ADCP (Cyber & Crime), announced that the cyber police station has been made operational 24x7. He urged victims to act swiftly. "In case of any fraud, the victim just needs to call the 1930 helpline number and should also register a complaint on the official website cybercrime.gov.in," he advised.
The dedicated freezing and unfreezing team comprises 1 inspector, 1 sub-inspector, and 5 constables. The proactive measures have yielded strong results. "We are continuously working to solve cases and this year, to date, around 55 criminals have been arrested, while last year the number was 45," ADCP Singh revealed.
The police have also taken preventive action by disrupting the infrastructure used by scammers. "This year, we blocked over 8,000 SIM cards which were involved in cybercrime. Last year, the number was around 5,000. We also blocked 120 mobile apps which were involved in cybercrime, compared to 76 last year," he added, highlighting the intensified efforts to curb digital fraud at its source.
