Cyberfraud on rise in Chennai, cops freeze Rs 48 cr, return Rs 10.45 cr
Between January 1 to May 31 this year, Chennai's public lost Rs 218.5 crore to the cybercrooks, of which Rs 48 crore was frozen.

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CHENNAI: In the first five months of 2025, Chennai police have received 4,357 financial cybercrime complaints, about 500 more than in the same period last year, suggesting a rise in the number of persons falling victim to cyber fraud. In 2024, till June, the city police had received 3,888 complaints.
Between January 1 to May 31 this year, Chennai's public lost Rs 218.5 crore to the cybercrooks, of which Rs 48 crore was frozen. After the legal process, thanks to the efforts of the cybercrime police stations, Rs 10.45 crore was retrieved and credited back to the victims' bank accounts. "As many as 59 accused were arrested by the Greater Chennai Police cyber crime teams, of which 42 were from the State and the rest from outside," the city police said.
The money lost in the same period in 2024 was Rs 182 crore, of which Rs 6.52 crore was recovered.
City police said the reversal of frozen amounts to victims of financial cyber crimes has been facilitated by a July 2024 circular of the Madras High Court, which ordered that registration with NCRP (National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal) is sufficient for the reversal of frozen amounts in case of financial cyber crimes.
"While the Chennai police follow this circular in letter and spirit and are helping reversal of the frozen amounts, this becomes effective only when the victims report the financial cybercrimes within the golden hour (the critical period immediately following a fraud)," an official release stated.
The major financial cyber frauds in which the public ends up losing several lakhs are online trading scams, digital arrest scams and online part-time job scams.
From awareness campaigns in educational institutions and workplaces to short films featuring Tamil actors, Yogi Babu and Ashok Selvan, Chennai Police have taken steps to educate the public to be wary of the nefarious designs of cyber fraudsters. City Police Commissioner A Arun appealed to the public to report any cybercrime immediately at the nearest cybercrime police station and in case of financial loss, dial 1930 immediately or report on www.cybercrime.gov.in for immediate action.