Intensifying the crackdown on cyber fraud, the Punjab Police have frozen 63,749 bank accounts linked to fraudulent transactions involving more than ₹540 crore over the past year, while recovering and refunding nearly ₹64 crore to victims since 2024.Intensifying the crackdown on cyber fraud, the Punjab Police have frozen 63,749 bank accounts linked to fraudulent transactions involving more than ₹540 crore over the past year, while recovering and refunding nearly ₹64 crore to victims since 2024. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image)Director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the action prevented fraudsters from withdrawing stolen money and improving the chances of recovering victims’ funds through swift financial intervention, while also helping uncover organised cybercrime syndicates operating across the country.According to the State Cyber Crime Division, as many as 62,253 cyber crime cases have been registered across Punjab since 2024.Highlighting a recent breakthrough, the DGP said the State Cyber Crime Division cracked a cyber extortion racket targeting a Punjabi resident living in Canada. According to police, the victim was lured through social media with the promise of resolving personal problems through online ardas (prayer), persuaded to share a personal video and later blackmailed with threats of making it public.Police arrested three accused in the case and recovered ₹3.49 lakh, 500 US dollars, 29 mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, a dongle and 38 empty mobile phone boxes. Officials said the case exposed the sophisticated methods increasingly employed by cybercriminals to extort victims.Financial recovery improvesThe police also reported an improvement in its financial recovery mechanism. During the last financial year, the percentage of fraud proceeds successfully frozen rose from 16.13% to 23.43%, reflecting enhanced coordination between investigators, banks and financial institutions.The DGP added that investigators had traced financial trails and interstate links of cybercriminals through advanced technological tools and timely intervention.Among police districts, Jalandhar commissionerate recorded the highest number of frozen bank accounts at 16,032, leading to recoveries of over ₹6.81 crore. Kapurthala froze 7,344 accounts, followed by Hoshiarpur with 7,201 and Ferozepur with 6,930. Significant recoveries were also made in Tarn Taran, where police recovered nearly ₹7 crore after freezing 5,229 accounts. Jalandhar Rural, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib also reported substantial action against cyber fraud.Public awareness amplifiedAlongside enforcement, Punjab Police have stepped up public awareness efforts to curb cyber crime. The State Cyber Crime Division organised 129 awareness programmes across the state, while district police units conducted additional campaigns in Mansa, Muktsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Khanna and Bathinda to educate citizens about online fraud.Special director general of police (Cyber Crime) V Neeraja said the police were pursuing a twin strategy of strict enforcement and public awareness. Besides targeting cyber fraud networks, the department was sensitising citizens, particularly young people, about online grooming, cyberbullying, sextortion, fake friendships, gaming scams and other digital threats that could lead to financial loss or misuse of personal information.