Cyber fraud victims in Rajasthan are losing crucial time in stopping stolen money after 8 pm because bank representatives are not available at night at the state’s cyber control centre.
Police say the system can trace where fraud money is moving, but delays at the banking level can allow criminals to transfer or convert the funds before they are frozen.
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Why Does the Problem Become Worse After 8 PM?
The Rajasthan Cyber Crime Control Centre, or R4C, operates from the police headquarters and handles cyber fraud complaints received through the 1930 helpline.
Around 30 police cyber experts and bank officials are deployed at the centre. However, bank representatives are available only during their banking hours. Police say this creates a serious gap from 8 pm to 9 am and on holidays, when immediate banking intervention may not be available.
When a victim reports a fraud on 1930, police can identify the account receiving the stolen money and track subsequent transfers. But tracing the money and actually stopping it are two different steps.
How Does Police Try to Stop Stolen Money?
After a complaint reaches 1930, information is sent to the bank’s central system. The bank can then freeze the amount by placing a lien or hold on the account.
According to ADG Cyber Crime VK Singh, the first attempt is made through an automatic lien. If the automatic process does not work, police need assistance from a bank representative to manually place the hold.
This manual intervention becomes difficult at night when bank representatives are unavailable.
How Quickly Do Fraudsters Move the Money?
Police say cybercriminals often transfer stolen funds through three to four accounts one after another. In some cases, the entire amount is converted into cryptocurrency and transferred abroad.
The system can identify the account that first received the money, where it was transferred next and where withdrawals took place. The bigger difficulty is stopping the funds quickly enough at the banking level.
According to Singh, if banks provide staff around the clock, about 30% more money could be prevented from reaching fraudsters.
What Happened in the ₹2.5 Crore Digital Arrest Case?
In one case, a 90-year-old retired district judge in Jaipur was allegedly kept under “digital arrest” for 15 days and cheated of around ₹2.5 crore. The accused allegedly posed as CBI and RBI officials.
After the complaint was filed, police immediately began trying to stop the money. However, only around ₹14 lakh could be put on hold. The remaining amount of around ₹2.35 crore had already been converted into USDT by the fraudsters.
How Was an 82-Year-Old Woman Cheated?
In another case, an 82-year-old woman from Ajmer was allegedly cheated of around ₹80 lakh through a digital arrest fraud.
Investigators found that after the money reached one account, it was quickly transferred to more than 150 bank accounts. Some of the money had also been converted into USDT.
The complaint reached the 1930 helpline about six hours after the incident. Police tried to freeze the funds, but by then it was night and a lien could not be placed in time. Only a few lakh rupees could eventually be recovered.
What Change Do Rajasthan Police Want?
Police want banks to provide a centralised Cyber Fraud Response System around the clock instead of restricting support to normal working hours.
Such system would allow action to begin as soon as R4C sends information to a bank, without waiting for a branch to open or a local bank employee to become available.
Rajasthan Police have also asked banks to respond quickly to cybercrime cases and provide assistance on holidays.
Why Is Calling 1930 Quickly Important?
The cases show how quickly cyber fraud money can move across multiple accounts or be converted into cryptocurrency. The sooner a victim reports the transaction, the greater the opportunity for police and banks to try to place the money on hold.
Victims should call 1930 immediately after discovering a fraudulent transaction and provide the transaction details, including the UTR or transaction number and relevant bank or UPI information. The concerned cyber police station can then examine the transaction trail and digital evidence while efforts are made to stop the money.
The420 Cyber Response
In cyber fraud, even a few hours can make a major difference. The cases in Rajasthan show that tracing stolen money may not be enough if banking action is delayed.
Immediate reporting on 1930, followed by faster coordination between police and banks, can improve the chances of stopping funds before they move through multiple accounts or are converted into cryptocurrency.
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