Kochi | The Kochi city cyber police has recovered over Rs one crore stolen from an 81-year-old man through the 'digital arrest' online fraud.

The incident occurred in November last year when the elderly man was defrauded of around Rs 1.30 crore in a digital arrest scam, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials to deceive victims, a police statement said on Saturday.

They intimidate individuals by falsely accusing them of illegal activities and then demand money, pressuring them to make the payment to get out the case.

Police said that due to its timely intervention, around Rs 1.06 crore of the lost amount was recovered from a bank in Jammu and Kashmir.

It said that when the man lodged the complaint, a case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station and its details were immediately uploaded on the National Cyber Crime Portal.

Following the immediate investigation and technical interventions, the police were able to freeze Rs 1,06,27,914 in a bank account, at Srinagar, where the money was sent by the victim, the statement said.

The investigation was carried out on the instructions of Kochi City Deputy Commissioner K S SHAHANSHA IPS, it said, adding that the timely interventions were carried out by Cyber Crime Police Station Inspector Shemir Khan, ASI Girish Kumar and CPO Robin under the supervision of Cyber Police Station ACP Anilkumar, it said.

As a result, the amount frozen in the account as per court orders was returned to the complainant, it added.

Police said that in cases of cyber fraud, if it is approached immediately after the loss of money and the complaints are registered through the National Cyber Crime Portal, the chances of recovering the lost amount increases.