Lucknow: In response to the rising number of cybercrime complaints, the UP Police has strengthened its cyber response mechanism by establishing a new 30-seater call centre for the national cyber helpline number 1930 in Kalli Paschim, Lucknow, taking the total number of seats in the state to 50.DG, Cyber HQ, Binod Singh, said the existing centre has been receiving a high volume of calls, reflecting increasing public reliance on the helpline for reporting cyber fraud and financial scams. He added that plans are underway to expand the Kalli Paschim call centre by adding 30 more seats, which will take the total capacity to 80 soon.According to records of the Cyber HQ, the 1930 helpline received 12.93 lakh calls from Aug 2025 to Feb 2026, of which 7.05 lakh were answered, while 5.88 lakh were dropped. Singh said that with the addition of 30 more call takers, the system will be fully geared to handle calls with minimal drop rates. Explaining the operations, the DG said, “Our first priority is to act within the first two hours. The moment a complaint is received through helpline 1930, the focus is on immediately freezing funds, registering FIRs and ensuring seamless coordination across states and even internationally. Time is the most critical factor in recovering money.” “We must choke the money trail. This means identifying mule accounts, de-risking repeat offenders and working closely with banks, digital wallets and even crypto exchanges to prevent further circulation of illicit funds,” he added. On telecom misuse, he said, “We are tightening controls on PoS agents and ensuring strict KYC compliance in coordination with telecom operators and digital platforms.” Focusing on prevention, Singh said, “Awareness is our first line of defence. We are conducting monthly campaigns in local languages, highlighting common fraud methods, in partnership with banks, telecom companies and social media platforms.”Summing up the strategy, he said, “Cyber policing is about acting faster than criminals. If we move quicker, coordinate better and inform citizens in time, we can significantly reduce both crime and losses.“
