Telangana police have facilitated the refund of ₹139.6 crore to about 24,000 cyber fraud victims so far this year, using legal settlements, coordination with banks and digital payment providers, and a new central government money-restoration system, according to the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau.
The recovery effort includes ₹42.2 crore returned to 3,896 victims during the recently held National Lok Adalat. The exercise was conducted by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, the Telangana State Legal Services Authority, banks, digital payment service providers and police units across the state.
Cyberabad recorded the highest value of refunds during the Lok Adalat, helping 942 victims recover ₹14.1 crore. In Malkajgiri, 1,024 victims received ₹5.2 crore, while Hyderabad helped 530 victims recover ₹5 crore. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau separately facilitated refunds of ₹10.5 crore for 41 victims.
Telangana is also using the Money Restoration Module, introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs in May and made operational in the state in June. The system allows cybercrime victims to receive refunds without waiting for court orders, according to the bureau.
As of September 12, ₹27.2 crore had been refunded to 9,355 victims through the module. Combined with the Lok Adalat process, the two mechanisms have provided financial relief to 13,251 victims this year.
The figures show how cyber fraud recovery depends on coordination between police investigators, courts and legal-services institutions, banks and digital payment companies. The mechanisms operate after fraud has been reported and funds have been traced or frozen, making the timing of a complaint important to the recovery process.
Since its inception, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has facilitated the recovery of ₹514 crore for 73,204 cybercrime victims. The latest figures include cases handled through multiple recovery channels and cover victims across the state.
The bureau has asked victims to report cyber fraud immediately by calling the 1930 helpline or filing a complaint on the national cybercrime portal. It said prompt reporting during the initial “golden hour” improves the chances of freezing transactions and recovering the money.
