Golden-Hour complaint helps cybercrime victims save ₹22.21 lakh in Hyderabad

Cybercrime victims in Hyderabad saved ₹22.21 lakh by reporting scams within an hour, emphasizing the importance of the 'golden-hour'.

Gold-Hour complaint by cybercrime victims has saved three of them ₹22.21 lakh between July 9 and July 11. Hyderabad’s Cybercrime police said they could get the banks to freeze the money as the victims reached out within an hour of getting scammed.

“An online complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) or in the the nearest cybercrime police station, or by dialing National Helpline number 1930 within an hour of the fraud, also called the ‘golden-hour’ by investigators, can ensure that victims recover 90% to 100% of the amount lost,” an official from the Hyderabad cybercrime police explained.  

In two such cases on the evening of July 11, transaction worth ₹4.79 lakh were blocked. A transaction of ₹3.79 lakh was blocked within 30 minutes after the Hyderabad-based man reported at the station around 6.55 p.m. An online complaint was lodged in the NCRP portal, and the issue was escalated to victim’s bank, the official said.

In the second case that was filed later in the night in which a male private employee lost ₹97,312, a notice was also sent to Merchant Locon Solution, the parent company of Housing.com, which then initiated the refund which will be credited in 7-10 working days to the source account without any court order.  

Meanwhile, a Hyderabad-based medical professional was conned off ₹17.45 lakh. However, the bank, following a complaint on the NCRP portal, blocked multiple transactions within 22 minutes.