Police in Haryana claimed on Thursday (Jan 9) that the north Indian state is the first in the country in terms of the number of cyber crimes tackled or prevented in 2024. It has saved about $31.2 million from cyber criminals up from $8.9 mn in 2023. This amount is five times more than what was saved in 2022.

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Haryana's police also successfully recovered and refunded fraudulently siphoned money to victims. In 2023, they were given back $3.8 million, which increased by November 2024 to $11 million.

Smart strategies: Stronger alliance with banks

The success, said the police, came as a result of learning and understanding the methods of cyber criminals and working closely with the banks. The Indian state has also increased the number of police personnel on its cyber helpline 1930 (which is a toll-free helpline number in India for reporting cyber crimes) from a workforce of 12 to 70.

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According to Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur, the police also tied up with major banks, which led to 15 nodal officers from 10 major banks joining forces with the police on a common platform to combat cybercrime.

Cyber police have been running after the Lok Adalats to return money to the victims without going through a long judicial process.

Also Read: You are under digital arrest': The cyber scam that shook India in 2024

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Increase in cases and arrests


According to Kapur, Haryana Police made several strides in eliminating cybercrime.

In 2024, the police registered 5,511 cases of cyber fraud, more than double the 2,747 cases registered in 2023 and up from 2,165 cases in 2022.

Arrests also surged, with the police arresting 5,156 cybercriminals in 2024 compared to 1,909 in 2023 and 1,078 in 2022. A notable 70 per cent (3,555) of those arrested were from other states, and the police averaged 14 arrests per day.

Also Read: Cyber slavery: Thousands of Indians are trapped and tens of thousands have gone missing in Southeast Asia

Kapur praised the efforts of the entire cyber team for their dedication and hard work in tackling the crime saying, “The work done by our cyber cell has brought us to the top in terms of blocking cyber fraud and recovering stolen funds.”

Improved cyber fraud prevention

Haryana Police’s efforts have also enhanced the rate at which fraudulent amounts are blocked.

The rate of blocked amounts in cyber fraud cases rose from 7 per cent in September 2023 to 36 per cent in December 2024, making it the highest in the country. 

Following this, if a victim files a complaint within six hours after the fraud, then 70 per cent of lost money is blocked. This is also the highest percentage within the country.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah honoured the Haryana police for their success in reducing cybercrime in 2024. He lauded the police’s work in running the cyber helpline  DGP Kapur revealed that the police managed to close 2,83,589 bank accounts and 1,24,565 mobile numbers involved in cyber fraud.

(With inputs from agencies)