Banks have finally begun assisting cybercrime investigators by reducing their response time, but technical shortcomings and delays in framing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for defreezing lien-marked amounts continue to trouble victims.
According to data accessed by The Hindu, banks’ response time to police enquiries and notices averaged 15 to 20 days in 2024, depending on the bank. In 2025, this has come down to about a week.
Pronab Mohanty, Director General of Police (DGP), Cyber Command Unit (CCU), told The Hindu that some banks have even brought their average response time down to three days, giving investigators a better edge in progressing cases.
Response time refers to the time taken by banks to reply to investigators’ queries regarding account details, bank statements, and transaction records of accounts involved in cybercrimes.
“Unlike conventional crimes, where there are multiple leads, bank transactions and other banking-related aspects are the primary leads in cybercrime investigations. If banks delay information, investigations lag and the chances of cracking cases reduce,” Mr. Mohanty explained, underscoring the importance of timely responses.
