Mumbai, Aug 10 (PTI) Maharashtra Police have safeguarded more than Rs 1,700 crore of citizens’ money through timely intervention and freezing of funds before they reach cyber fraudsters, while over two lakh cybercrime complaints have been handled during the first seven months of 2026, officials said.
Police have registered 803 proactive FIRs against persons and entities allegedly involved in facilitating cybercrime as part of a state-wide intelligence-led crackdown under Operation 1930: Cyber Safety, launched on July 1 by the Maharashtra Cyber, the nodal agency for cyber-related matters.
A proactive FIR is registered directly by the police on their own accord, without waiting for a formal victim complaint, when they witness or uncover a cognisable offence.
The operation focuses on identifying and disrupting the financial and communication infrastructure used to facilitate cyber financial fraud, including Layer-1 money mule accounts, fraudulent cheque and ATM withdrawals, suspect SIM cards and Point of Sale (PoS) sellers, officials said.
Maharashtra Cyber undertook centralised data analysis and profiling, while police units across the state conducted ground-level verification and enforcement under their respective unit commanders.
The analysis identified 2,717 Layer-1 money mule accounts across 57 banks, linked to disputed transactions worth around Rs 12.57 crore, officials said. It also identified 3,597 accounts associated with cheque withdrawals involving approximately Rs 89.30 crore across 2,171 bank branches.
In addition, 17,014 accounts and 10,075 ATM IDs were linked to fraudulent ATM withdrawals involving around Rs 70.14 crore.
As many as 5,684 suspect SIM cards linked to 7,312 cybercrime complaints were also identified for verification and action against suspected users and PoS sellers.
Based on intelligence inputs, data analysis and field verification, police units across Maharashtra proactively registered 803 FIRs against persons and entities identified during the operation.
Unlike conventional cases initiated primarily on the basis of individual victim complaints, these FIRs were registered proactively to target the infrastructure and facilitators supporting cybercrime, officials said.
The initiative marks a shift towards proactive and intelligence-led cyber policing, aimed at disrupting the cyber fraud ecosystem before it causes further financial losses.
Maharashtra Cyber is also strengthening citizen-centric mechanisms such as the 1930 Cyber Helpline, E-Zero FIR, Grievance Redressal Module (GRM) and Money Restoration Module (MRM).
The E-Zero FIR mechanism was implemented in Maharashtra from July 10 to simplify reporting and registration of cyber financial fraud cases received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Complaints involving financial fraud of more than Rs 5 lakh are automatically converted into E-Zero FIRs and electronically forwarded to the concerned police units for action, in compliance with Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
Under the mechanism, victims are required to visit the concerned police unit and sign the E-FIR within 72 hours, following which further action is taken.
The 1930 Cyber Helpline is receiving around 8,000-10,000 calls daily, with a reported 100 per cent call pick-up rate.
During the first seven months of 2026, more than two lakh cybercrime complaints were handled across Maharashtra, while timely intervention and freezing of suspected fraudulent transactions helped save around Rs 514.36 crore, officials said.
Cumulatively, more than Rs 1,700 crore of citizens’ money has been safeguarded through timely intervention and freezing of funds.
The GRM provides a structured mechanism for citizens facing wrongful debit freezes or lien markings on their bank accounts. Complaints submitted through the citizenâs home bank branch are forwarded to the concerned police unit for verification and necessary action within 15 days.
More than 5,800 such grievances have been addressed through coordinated efforts of Maharashtra Cyber and police units across the state.
The MRM facilitates the restoration of “defrauded money” to victims of cybercrimes. Under the mechanism, amounts of up to Rs 50,000 per account can be refunded without requiring a court order.
Since July 1, Rs 25.46 crore has been restored to victims through coordinated efforts of police units across Maharashtra, officials said. PTI ZA NSK
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