Punjab Police starts e-zero FIR for cyber financial frauds
Chandigarh, July 29
The Punjab Police have operationalised the e-zero first information report mechanism for cyber financial fraud cases involving transactions above Rs 5 lakh, an official statement said on Wednesday.
It said the mechanism was formally launched with the issuance of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
The e-zero FIR mechanism enables eligible cyber financial fraud complaints reported through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) or the National Cyber Crime Helpline '1930' to be automatically converted into e-zero FIRs and electronically transmitted through the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) to the Cyber Crime Police Station concerned in districts or Commissionerates of Police for investigation.
DGP Yadav said that complaints involving cyber financial fraud of Rs 1 crore or more will be transferred to the State Cyber Crime Police Station in Mohali for registration and investigation.
He added that the new mechanism has been designed to eliminate delays in the registration of FIRs and ensure immediate action to freeze bank accounts, digital wallets, and other payment instruments used in cyber frauds, preserve electronic evidence, coordinate with financial intermediaries, and initiate prompt investigation to maximise recovery of the defrauded money.
"The first few hours after a cyber financial fraud are the most critical for tracing and freezing funds. By enabling automatic registration, the e-zero FIR system empowers investigating officers to take urgent legal and technical measures without procedural delays," the DGP said.
Under the system, victims will also be informed immediately about the registration of the e-zero FIR, details of the Cyber Crime Police Station concerned, the investigating officer, and the procedure for completing statutory formalities under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) of 2023.
The State Cyber Crime Division will monitor the implementation of the e-zero FIR mechanism across the state to ensure timely registration, transfer, investigation, and supervision of cyber financial fraud cases, the statement added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone working in IT in Bangalore, I see how prolific these scams have become. The ₹5 lakh threshold seems reasonable to start with, but I'd love to see this expanded to lower amounts too. Small traders and students often lose ₹50,000-1 lakh which is life-changing for them. Still, a good first step by Punjab Police.
Very positive development! The DGP's point about the first few hours being critical is spot-on. Cyber fraudsters transfer money through multiple accounts within minutes. My only concern: will the police stations actually have the technical expertise to handle these e-FIRs immediately? Need proper training alongside the system. 🤔
Great initiative! I was scammed through a fake job offer last year and the process was so frustrating—first the cyber cell said go to local police, then local police said it's cyber crime. This automatic transfer to the right station should reduce that runaround. Let's see how it works in practice, but seems promising.
Impressive! Automating the FIR process for cyber fraud is exactly what we need in the digital age. The integration with CCTNS and NCRP should make it seamless. But I hope they also invest in awareness campaigns—many people still don't report cyber frauds because they feel embarrassed or don't know about 1930 helpline.
Good system, but what about victims who don't have digital literacy? My neighbour's mother was scammed of ₹6 lakh and she can't even use a smartphone properly. The e-FIR might help technically, but we need human help at police
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