T’gana cops facilitate ₹139cr refund to cyber fraud victims | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Telangana police have facilitated the refund of ₹139.6 crore to about 24,000 cyber fraud victims so far this year, with a significant portion of the money being returned through the Lok Adalat and the newly introduced Money Restoration Module (MRM). During the recently held National Lok Adalat, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), along with the Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TSLSA), banks, digital payment service providers and police units across the state, facilitated refunds of ₹42.2 crore to 3,896 victims.Cyberabad emerged as one of the top-performing units, helping 942 victims recover ₹14.1 crore. Malkajgiri followed with 1,024 victims receiving ₹5.2 crore, while Hyderabad helped 530 victims recover ₹5 crore. The TGCSB itself facilitated refunds of ₹10.5 crore to 41 victims. Apart from the Lok Adalat, Telangana is also using the MRM, which was launched by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in May and made operational in the state in June. The module allows cybercrime victims to receive refunds without waiting for court orders. As of Sept 12, ₹27.2 crore had been refunded to 9,355 victims through the system.Together, the two mechanisms have provided financial relief to 13,251 victims this year, according to the TGCSB. Since its inception, the bureau has facilitated the recovery of ₹514 crore for 73,204 cybercrime victims. The TGCSB has urged victims to report fraud immediately by calling the 1930 helpline or filing a complaint on the national cybercrime portal, saying that prompt reporting during the ‘golden hour’ improves the chances of freezing and recovering the money.