Gurugram : Haryana police arrested 12 individuals involved in nearly 4,995 cyber frauds across the country, swindling over Rs 18 crore from thousands of victims including a large number of cases in Haryana. Arrests included individuals from various states, involved in different schemes such as fake money transfers, investment frauds, and impersonation scams targeting business persons, farmers, and private employees. The police were able to link the accused to thousands of cybercrimes nationwide through linkage analysis in the I4C database, discovering their involvement in 267 cybercrime cases registered against the cheats which included 13 cases registered in Haryana state against about 5000 complaints received by police cyber crime cells. Recoveries from the arrested accused included around Rs 1.7 lakh in cash and 10 mobile phones.

While talking to media persons ADGP Cyber O.P. Singh  said that the culprits have been presented before the court and further legal proceedings are underway. He cautioned the public against falling victim to various attractive schemes to attract them, urging vigilance and awareness. He highlighted the importance of promptly reporting any suspicious activity to the cyber helpline number 1930. Singh stressed the prevalence of cybercriminals operating on social media platforms, enticing individuals with various fraudulent schemes, including fake job offers and enticing deals on goods. The Haryana Police is committed to combating cybercrime and has dedicated resources to educate the public through awareness campaigns and initiatives such as Cyber Awareness Day.

ADGP Singh said that with over 1500 calls received daily from fraud victims, law enforcement authorities continue to prioritize swift and decisive action to protect citizens from falling victim to cyber fraud. “The general public is urged to remain vigilant and cautious, refraining from succumbing to temptations and promptly reporting any suspicious activities to the authorities,”  he made an appeal and said that the fraudsters promptly transfer the ill-gotten funds to other fictitious accounts and subsequently withdraw cash. Referring to a case in which a victim from Panchkula fell prey to a scam where the cybercriminal posed as an army officer offering a job opportunity as a yoga teacher within the army cantonment. The victim, expecting an advance payment, transferred a significant sum of Rs 1,99,996 via Google Pay ID, only to realize later that it was a ruse. ADGP quoted another case, in which a resident of Panchkula reported that his friend’s son was blackmailed and extorted Rs 51,000 after the cybercriminal had produced an obscene video.