Chennai, May 31 (IANS) In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) have successfully restituted Rs 10.25 crore to victims of cyber fraud in the first five months of 2025.

Of this, over Rs 2 crore was returned in May alone, reflecting the department’s intensified efforts to combat the surge in online financial crimes.

In addition to these recoveries, the GCP cybercrime wing has approached courts and frozen Rs 36.27 crore in various bank accounts linked to cybercriminals.

Officials say these swift actions aim to disrupt the financial channels of fraudsters and deter future crimes.

According to data provided by the Chennai Police, the city police headquarters’ cyber crime wing led the restitution efforts, recovering Rs 7.08 crore in 582 cases.

The South Zone cybercrime unit followed with Rs 1.66 crore in 234 cases. The North Zone recovered Rs 56.74 lakh from 73 cases, the West Zone retrieved Rs 60.52 lakh in 234 cases, and the East Zone recovered Rs 33.38 lakh in 183 cases.

In the month of May alone, the headquarters’ cyber team managed to recover Rs 1.57 crore from 26 cyber fraud cases. Police have raised serious concerns over the rising trend of “digital arrest” scams, where fraudsters impersonate officials from agencies like the CBI, RAW, and Mumbai Police to instil panic and manipulate victims into transferring money.

Victims are often told they are under investigation or that their accounts are being misused, prompting them to comply out of fear. Other common scams flagged by the police include online part-time job frauds—where victims are initially asked to perform simple tasks like writing reviews or liking posts and are later lured into transferring large sums—and fake online trading platforms promising high returns.

GCP Commissioner A. Arun has issued a strong advisory urging the public to remain vigilant and avoid transferring money to unknown bank accounts.

He emphasised the importance of immediate action in such cases and encouraged victims to report incidents promptly by calling the cybercrime helpline 1930 or visiting the national cybercrime portal at www.cybercrime.gov.in.

–IANS

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