Rs 80.27 Lakh Returned to Cyber Fraud Victims by Pune Police Through Money Restoration Module

Pune, 31st July 2026: Pune City Police have restored ₹80,27,302 to cyber fraud victims after resolving 2,538 complaints through the Money Restoration Module (MRM), according to the Economic and Cyber Crime Branch.

The police are using several digital platforms under the PRAGATI initiative, in coordination with Maharashtra Cyber, Mumbai, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), New Delhi. The initiative is aimed at ensuring faster, more transparent and effective handling of complaints registered through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).

The MRM helps investigators trace fraudulent financial transactions and coordinate with banks and other financial institutions to return money to victims.

The E-Zero FIR system, meanwhile, allows financial cyber fraud complaints involving more than ₹5 lakh to be immediately registered as Zero FIRs, irrespective of police station jurisdiction. Between July 1 and July 31, Pune police received 27 E-Zero FIR complaints, all of which were registered.

Police have also disposed of 94.99 per cent of the complaints received through the Grievance Redressal Module. The platform assists innocent people whose bank accounts may have been mistakenly or unnecessarily frozen during cybercrime investigations.

Under the SAMANVAY portal, which facilitates information-sharing among police and investigating agencies across the country, Pune police have uploaded details of all 152 people arrested in cybercrime cases since 2024.

The SAHYOG portal has helped the police secure the removal of 845 obscene or objectionable social-media posts and links, including content capable of creating communal tension.

The Cyber Investigation Assistance Request (CIAR) portal is being used to obtain information from banks, telecommunications companies, digital platforms and other service providers. Pune police have received 1,751 requests from other states and served notices on Pune-based suspects allegedly involved in cases registered outside Maharashtra.

The city police have also sent 1,982 requests to other states, of which 1,298 have been acted upon and compliance reports submitted.

As part of Operation Mule Hunt, Pune police mapped bank accounts suspected of being used to receive and transfer proceeds from cybercrime. The drive has resulted in the registration of 132 cases in the city so far and will continue, the press note said.

Police personnel across Pune are also receiving specialised online training through the CyTrain portal. The programme covers modern investigation techniques, technical inquiries and the collection and presentation of digital evidence in court. It is intended to enable personnel ranging from beat marshals to investigating officers at regular police stations to conduct preliminary cybercrime investigations.

During 2026, police conducted cyber-awareness programmes at 1,142 locations, including schools, colleges, information technology companies, housing societies and government offices. These programmes reached approximately three lakh citizens.

A separate initiative, Campus Connect–Safe Horizon, was conducted for students, teachers and parents to promote cyber safety and raise awareness about the harmful effects of narcotics.

Pune police also traced and returned 1,614 lost or stolen mobile phones in 2025 and another 1,097 phones in 2026 through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). The portal allows lost or stolen devices to be blocked across mobile networks using their International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers.

Police have urged citizens not to transfer money on the instructions of unknown people, click suspicious links or share OTPs, CVVs, PINs, passwords and banking details. They also warned people against allowing others to use their bank accounts, mobile numbers, PAN or Aadhaar details in return for money or commission, as such accounts could be used to transfer proceeds of cybercrime.

Victims of cyber fraud should immediately call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or lodge a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, police said.