Nagpur: In a major relief for victims of cybercrime, the Cyber Police Station of Nagpur City has successfully returned assets worth Rs 4.92 crore, including fraud amounts and recovered mobile phones, to affected citizens. The initiative was undertaken as part of efforts to curb cyber fraud and spread awareness among the public about online scams.

A special workshop on cyber fraud prevention and victim assistance was organised on May 16 under the chairmanship of Nagpur Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singal. The programme aimed at educating citizens about rising cyber fraud cases and methods to stay safe online.

The workshop featured guidance from cyber and legal experts, including Dr Disha Khaire, Piyush Telrandhe and cyber expert and digital forensic specialist Himanshu Joshi.

According to police, several complainants had fallen prey to “digital arrest” scams in which fraudsters impersonated officials from agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), CBI and RBI. Victims were threatened through video calls using fake arrest warrants and were coerced into transferring money under the pretext of avoiding legal action.

In other cases, fraudsters lured victims into fake share trading and investment schemes by promising huge profits. Victims were made to download fraudulent trading applications and transfer money to multiple bank accounts.

Cyber Police officials said that between January 2026 and May 2026, technical investigation and prompt coordination with banks helped freeze and recover fraud amounts worth Rs 4,49,24,266. The amount was later returned to victims following court orders.

Apart from financial fraud recovery, the Cyber Police also traced and recovered 232 lost mobile phones worth approximately Rs 43,18,347 from Nagpur and other cities using technical surveillance methods. The recovered phones were handed back to their rightful owners during the workshop.

Overall, Nagpur Cyber Police returned property and funds collectively worth Rs 4,92,42,613 to citizens.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of senior police officials, including Joint Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy, Additional Commissioner of Police Rajendra Dabhadeand Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Deepak Agrawal. The investigation team was led by Senior Police Inspectors Sudhir Borkute and Suresh Dambare.

Nagpur Cyber Police appealed to citizens, especially senior citizens and retired employees, not to fall victim to so-called “digital arrest” scams, clarifying that there is no legal provision for digital arrest in India. Citizens have been advised to download banking applications only from official app stores and avoid opening APK files or suspicious links shared by unknown persons.

Police further urged victims of cyber fraud to immediately contact helpline numbers 1930 or 1945, report incidents on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, or approach the nearest police station or Cyber Police Station without delay.