Punjab Police's State Cyber Crime Division has frozen 63,749 bank accounts tied to cyber fraud involving transactions worth nearly ₹540.34 crore over the past year, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced on Friday, 26 June. The sweeping action, one of the largest of its kind in the state, has also led to the registration of 62,253 cybercrime cases across Punjab.

Scale of the Crackdown

Since 2024, Punjab Police have recovered and refunded approximately ₹64 crore to fraud victims. Of this, nearly ₹38.42 crore was recovered after 1 January 2025 alone, signalling an accelerating pace of enforcement. The percentage of fraud proceeds successfully frozen rose sharply — from 16.13% in the previous financial year to 23.43% — reflecting a measurable improvement in the division's financial tracking capabilities.

District-Wise Performance

Jalandhar Commissionerate led all districts with 16,032 frozen accounts and recoveries of ₹6,81,00,323. Kapurthala followed with 7,344 frozen accounts and ₹2,56,00,037 recovered. Hoshiarpur recorded 7,201 frozen accounts and recoveries of ₹3,96,29,152, while Ferozepur saw 6,930 accounts frozen and ₹93,16,954 returned to victims.

What the DGP Said

DGP Gaurav Yadav said the crackdown had done more than recover money. 'The large-scale crackdown against cyber fraud gangs has not only enabled Punjab Police to freeze thousands of fraudulent bank accounts and recover defrauded money, but has also helped expose organised cybercrime networks operating across the country,' he said. He added that investigations had yielded 'significant breakthroughs in identifying methods, financial trails and inter-state linkages used by cybercriminals.'

Canada-Linked Extortion Case Cracked

Among recent successes highlighted by the DGP was the resolution of a cyber extortion case involving a Punjabi resident based in Canada. The victim was contacted through social media under the pretext of resolving personal problems via online 'ardas' (prayer), persuaded to share a video, and subsequently blackmailed with threats of circulating it. Acting on the complaint, the Cyber Crime Division arrested three individuals and recovered ₹3,49,100 along with $500.

Awareness Drive Alongside Enforcement

Special DGP (Cyber Crime) V. Neeraja said the division is simultaneously running large-scale public awareness campaigns. 'The police are also focusing on sensitising youngsters regarding fake online grooming, cyber bullying, extortion, fake friendships and gaming platforms, which may lead to the sharing of sensitive personal information,' she said. This dual approach — enforcement paired with citizen education — forms the core of Punjab Police's stated multi-pronged strategy against cybercrime. This comes amid a nationwide surge in digital fraud cases, with Punjab's recovery rate now outpacing several larger states. The division's next phase is expected to focus on inter-state gang dismantlement and deeper cooperation with banking regulators.