CHENNAI: To effectively counter the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber crimes, Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing (CCW) adopts a multi-pronged approach that encompasses both proactive measures and reactive actions.

In 2025, a dedicated cyber patrolling and intelligence team established to proactively monitor and counter illegal activities in cyber space has rescued 1,212 potential cyber crime victims (200 from Tamil Nadu and 1,012 in other States) from being victimised.

The CCW also blocked around 1,507 social media accounts/Pages that are promoting fake Investment Apps. It’s also taking efforts to include all banks under API based freezing system – a technological framework that uses Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to programmatically and near-instantly restrict access to funds in a bank account or digital wallet.

“With significant efforts, 36 banks have implemented API-based money-freezing systems that enable the rapid freezing of fraudulent funds in suspects’ accounts within minutes,” police said.

The State government sanctioned Rs 9.28 crore for the expansion of 1930 control room and CCW headquarters and cyber crime police stations were equipped with necessary cyber forensic tools. “A state-of-the-art cyber forensics lab has been set up at CCW headquarters,” a release stated.

In 2025 alone, CCW conducted 1,530 awareness programmes in schools, 1,368 in colleges and 4,537 in public places. Celebrities from the Tamil film industry were roped in to create awareness videos on Digital Arrest and other cyber scams which were screened in cinema halls across the State.

Operation ‘Thirai Neekku’, a storming operation targeting cyber offenders was conducted during December 2024 and June 2025 across TN and 212 cyber offenders, who were involved in 654 NCRP complaints amounting to the loss of Rs 193.97 crore, were secured. The pan-India Operation Hydra resulted in the arrest of 7 criminals from Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Assam and New Delhi involved in high impact cyber crimes.

The CCW also launched Operation Blue Triangle which is in the process of securing International Human Trafficking Agents, Mule Agents who are involved in Cyber Slavery Scam. The team has secured 10 cyber offenders by registering 11 FIRs; among them, 4 have been detained under Goondas Act.

“In 2025, the CCW arrested 1,193 offenders by various inter-state and intra-state operations,” an official release stated.

With the deployment of advanced algorithms at International Telecom Gateways, fraudulent calls are now being blocked at the source.

Cyber criminals operating from abroad have been attempting to sabotage telecom networks by activating SIM boxes across various locations in India.