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Chandigarh, June 26
The Punjab Police have frozen more than 63,000 bank accounts linked to cyber fraud over the past year, as part of an intensified campaign to disrupt organised online crime and recover money lost by victims. The officials say accounts connected to fraudulent transactions worth about ₹540.34 crore have been frozen, preventing cybercriminals from moving stolen funds and increasing the chances of returning money to those affected.
According to the police, around ₹64 crore has been recovered and refunded to victims since 2024, including ₹38.42 crore since the beginning of 2025. During the same period, more than 62,000 cybercrime cases were registered across Punjab.
Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, said the crackdown had helped uncover organised cybercrime networks operating across India. He said investigations had revealed how fraudsters moved money through complex financial trails and used inter-state links to carry out scams. The police, he added, had relied on rapid intervention, digital tools and financial tracking to stop fraudsters, protect victims’ savings and bring those responsible to justice. The Police data shows the proportion of fraudulent money successfully frozen rose from 16.13% to 23.43% during the last financial year, reflecting improved recovery efforts.
Among the districts, Jalandhar Commissionerate recorded the highest number of frozen accounts, with 16,032 accounts blocked and more than ₹6.8 crore recovered. Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur and Tarn Taran also reported significant recoveries after freezing thousands of accounts linked to suspected cyber fraud. In one recent case, investigators arrested three people accused of extorting a Punjabi resident living in Canada.
The police said the victim had been contacted on social media by people claiming they could solve personal problems through an online ardas (prayer). After persuading the victim to share a personal video, the suspects allegedly demanded money while threatening to circulate the footage online. The Cyber Crime Division said it recovered ₹3.49 lakh and 500 US dollars during the operation. Officers also seized 29 mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, a dongle and dozens of empty mobile phone boxes believed to be connected to the investigation.
Alongside enforcement, Punjab Police says it is stepping up public awareness campaigns to help people recognise online scams.
The State Cyber Crime Division organised 129 awareness programmes across the state, while district police teams conducted dozens more in Mansa, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Khanna and Bathinda. Special Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) V Neeraja said the campaigns focused on educating people, particularly young users, about risks such as online grooming, cyberbullying, sextortion, fake friendships and gaming-related scams that could lead to the theft of personal information.
Punjab Police says combining enforcement with public awareness remains central to its strategy to tackle cybercrime, safeguard people’s savings and build confidence in digital transactions.
