Andhra Pradesh police launch ‘AP Cyber Guard’

The comprehensive action plan has been prepared following directions from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to strengthen cyber security infrastructure and improve public protection mechanisms.

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a step to curb the growing number of cyber crimes in the state, the Andhra Pradesh Police Department has launched a dedicated initiative named ‘AP Cyber Guard’ along with a special 90-day action plan aimed at strengthening cyber fraud prevention and recovery mechanisms.

Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta announced the initiative during a video conference with Superintendents of Police and Police Commissioners held from the Police Headquarters in Mangalagiri.

The primary objective of the new strategy is to ensure that victims of cyber financial frauds recover their lost money at the earliest possible stage. Emphasising the importance of immediate response, the DGP said the first 30 minutes after a cyber fraud complaint are extremely critical and termed it the “Golden Hour” in cyber crime investigations.

“Once victims report cyber frauds through the 1930 helpline, the first 30 minutes are crucial. If police respond within that period, the chances of recovering the lost money increase significantly. Therefore, banks are being directed to implement mandatory lien marking for 30 minutes to prevent fraud amounts from being transferred or withdrawn from the accused accounts,” the DGP explained.

The comprehensive action plan has been prepared following directions from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to strengthen cyber security infrastructure and improve public protection mechanisms.

As part of the initiative, the police department will implement a six-point strategy that includes establishment of a 24/7 Cyber War Room, AI-based cyber surveillance systems and specialised training for police personnel. In the first phase, around 500 officers will receive intensive cyber crime investigation training.

Officials said the state has witnessed a sharp rise in cyber financial frauds in recent years. According to police data, the 1930 national cyber crime helpline has so far received nearly 9.29 lakh complaints from Andhra Pradesh, with victims reportedly losing around ₹652 crore to various online scams and frauds.

The new AP Cyber Guard initiative is expected to improve coordination between police, banks and cyber intelligence units while enabling faster freezing of fraudulent transactions and tracking of cyber criminals.

Senior police officials said awareness campaigns, rapid response systems and advanced digital monitoring technologies will also be strengthened as part of the 90-day operational plan.

The Andhra Pradesh Police Department hopes the initiative will significantly reduce cyber fraud incidents and enhance public confidence in digital financial systems across the state.