Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police has operationalised the country’s first-of-its-kind Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) — a 24×7 integrated facility that has already helped freeze Rs 12.5 crore belonging to 221 victims across the state within just seven months of its inception.Established by the UP Cyber Headquarters in Lucknow under DG Cyber HQ Binod Singh, the CFMC represents a major shift in policing strategy — from reactive investigation to real-time financial intervention.“What sets this centre apart is its round-the-clock coordination mechanism, where representatives from leading banks and financial institutions are physically stationed alongside police personnel to enable immediate action on reported cyber frauds,” said Singh.Senior officials said the centre functions as a rapid-response hub, drastically reducing the critical time gap between a fraud being reported and preventive action being initiated. “In cyber fraud cases, time is money. The faster the response, the higher the chances of saving the victim’s funds,” an officer at the Cyber HQ said.Calling it the first in the country, DG Cyber Binod Singh said that once a complaint is received — primarily through the national cyber helpline 1930 or online portals — the CFMC team swiftly alerts the concerned banks, facilitating instant freezing of suspect accounts and halting the onward trail of siphoned money.“The initiative has proven to be a game-changer in a landscape where cybercriminals exploit speed and anonymity. By bringing all stakeholders under one roof, the UP Police has created a seamless, tech-driven ecosystem that prioritises victim relief and financial recovery,” he added.Officials added that the success of the CFMC model is now being seen as a potential template for replication at the national level, as cyber fraud cases continue to surge across the country.“I lost Rs 6 lakh and never thought even in dreams that I would be able to recover it, but UP Cyber HQ got the entire amount recovered,” said Naresh Kumar, from GB Nagar.Another victim, Govind Kumar from Chandauli, saved Rs 9 lakh for his daughter’s marriage, and in an internet-related fraud, it was all gone in seconds. “However, as soon as I approached UP Cyber HQ and 1930, Rs 7.17 lakh was swiftly frozen,” he said. These are not just two but 219 others who expressed happiness when they got back their hard-earned money.In a step towards strengthening the cybercrime response infrastructure in the state, DGP Rajeev Krishna inaugurated a call centre for the 1930 National Cybercrime Helpline at the office of DCP South, Kalli Paschim, Lucknow, on July 30, 2025.“To address the surge in cyber-related complaints, the state expanded its 1930 cyber helpline infrastructure. A new 30-seat hi-tech call centre was operationalised in Kalli Paschim, complementing the existing 20-seat centre at UP 112 headquarters.This new facility will operate round the clock, with 94 trained police personnel, ranging from constables to inspectors, deployed,” said DG Cyber.Decks cleared for cyber security operations centreGovt has approved an allocation of Rs 95 crore to establish a state-of-the-art Cyber Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Lucknow, marking a major step towards strengthening the state’s digital defence framework. The upcoming SOC is being envisaged under DG Cyber HQ Binod Singh. “The proposed SOC will function as a centralised command and control hub, enabling round-the-clock monitoring and protection of critical information infrastructure (CII) across sectors,” he said.
