Telangana Cyber Security Bureau facilitates refund of Rs 85 crore to victims

Hyderabad, Aug  (IANS) The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has facilitated a refund of Rs 85.05 crore to victims of cyber fraud during the last six months, its chief said on Monday.

The refund was facilitated from March to July 2024, across all Commissionerates and districts of Telangana.

TGSCB Director Shikha Goel said that this accomplishment is the result of collaborative efforts between the TGCSB and the Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TGLSA). These efforts focused on the increasing cybercrimes causing substantial financial losses to citizens and the difficulties faced by Station House Officers (SHOs) in registering First Information Reports (FIRS) through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

She said a major concern addressed was the prolonged holding of fraudulent funds in banks, without returning them to victims.

To streamline the filing of petitions under Section 457 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), a standard operating procedure (SOP) was developed by the TGCSB, with the collaboration of the TGLSA, in February 2024, and distributed to all District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) in Telangana.

"Since the implementation of these measures and the directives issued to all District Judges on February 20, 2024, a total of 6,840 petitions have been submitted to the courts. Refund orders have been granted for 6,449 cases, amounting to a total of Rs 85.05 crore. Of this amount, Rs 36.8 crore has been refunded in the Cyberabad Commissionerate, marking it as the top unit in terms of refunds processed. This initiative represents a major advancement in providing prompt financial relief to victims of cyber fraud, establishing a new benchmark for cybersecurity and legal response in Telangana," she said.

Goel said that the collaboration between the TGCSB and the TGLSA, along with the active participation of the Telangana High Court, underscores a strong legal framework designed to address the financial consequences of cybercrimes on citizens.

The Cyber Security Bureau has been emphasising the importance of immediate action in reporting cyber fraud within the "golden hour," that is at the very moment it is realised or suspected. Immediate reporting significantly enhances the chances of freezing the fraud amount in the accused's bank accounts and digital wallets. Victims are urged to report incidents promptly by calling 1930 or visiting the cybercrime.gov.in portal.