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Lost money to online fraudsters? Now call 155260 for quick retrieval
New Delhi Delhi Police on Tuesday said they have formally launched a helpline number that helps victims of online financial frauds get their money back quickly
New Delhi
Delhi Police on Tuesday said they have formally launched a helpline number that helps victims of online financial frauds get their money back quickly.
The helpline — 155260 — was already operating under the Union ministry of home affairs for reporting all kinds of cyber crimes. The cyber cell of Delhi Police, in collaboration with the Union ministry of home affairs, in November last year decided to take over and enhance the capacities of the helpline on a pilot basis.
The police added 10 lines to the helpline number, a move that saw tremendous response, helping at least 23 victims of frauds recover their lost money either partially or fully, said Anyesh Roy, deputy commissioner of police (cyber cell).
Roy added that in total , the 23 victims so far have managed to get around ₹8.11 lakh back, of which the biggest beneficiary was a Delhi-based retired audit account officer, who managed to get back ₹98,000 that he had lost to a fraudster.
“In such financial frauds, retrieval of the duped money mainly depends on how quickly the complaint is received and attended to. Hence, it was necessary to have several lines open for the helpline number so that victims do not have to wait,” said Roy.
Next, the police got in touch with a host of banks, online wallet firms and payment gateways to join the system. So far, nearly 50 of them have joined.
Throwing light on how the helpline works, Roy said that when a victim loses money from their account, they can call the helpline number within 24 hour with the details of bank account or e-wallet from which the money is deducted, and if possible the account in which the money was deposited.
Thereafter, armed with the information, the police immediately raise the matter with the concerned banks or e-wallet firms. “Our online platform is such that the officer concerned in the banks or e-wallet firms immediately receive the transaction details on their phones and emails,” Roy said.
If the stolen money has not been withdrawn from an ATM or used to make utility payment , the amount is immediately put on hold by the bank or the e-wallet firm at the police’s request. Thereafter, the money is later returned to the victim.
The officer said that while victims must separately also call their banks or e-wallet firms to prevent any more deductions, calling the 155260 helpline number increases their chances of retrieving the money. The entire system, investigators said, depended mainly on how quickly the financial fraud is reported to the police.
This is different from the usual police action in the sense that when an online financial fraud is reported to the local police station or even to the cyber cell, it takes at least a few hours for the complaint to be registered and the police to begin their investigation.
Calling the helpline number, on the other hand, initiates the retrieval process immediately, said Roy.
Police said that this is a national platform formally launched on April 1. “Rajasthan has already joined the platform. Other states too are expected to follow suit soon,” said Roy.
Prakash Singh, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, called the platform an excellent initiative with the potential of helping a large number of victims. “Even if this platform can help a fraction of the people duped of their money, a large number of victims will be helped. In a financial fraud, most victims just want their money back and this platform promises to do that,” said Singh.
