Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to implement a Zero FIR mechanism to effectively curb cyber crimes in the state. He instructed that complaints received through the Cyber War Room should immediately result in the registration of a Zero FIR so that banks can be alerted within the “golden hour” and prevent fraudulent fund transfers from victims’ accounts.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for stronger coordination with banks to combat cyber fraud. He also instructed officials to continuously create awareness among citizens about cyber crimes and expand public outreach programmes. Stressing the importance of prevention, CM Chandrababu said cyber patrolling should function on the lines of police patrolling to stop citizens from falling prey to cyber criminals.
He observed that rather than merely responding after a crime, efforts should focus on ensuring cyber crimes do not happen through public awareness and vigilance.
The Chief Minister reviewed the police department’s cyber crime prevention strategy with senior officials at the State Secretariat. During the meeting, the Director General of Police explained the proposed “AP Cyber Guard” initiative, which is being designed around a six-pillar response system to prevent various forms of cyber crimes.
During the presentation, DGP Harish Kumar Gupta said to effectively prevent cyber crimes, they are establishing a comprehensive cyber security framework called ‘AP Cyber Guard’ based on six pillars. These include a Cyber War Room, a 1930 Call Centre dashboard, Technology & AI integration, Capacity building, a Three-Tier Architecture and Public Awareness programmes.”
He said a state-level Cyber War Room is being established at Prabhala Tech Park in Mangalagiri, for which a building has already been identified. The war room will comprise 11 specialised divisions, including Emergency Response, Cyber Threat Intelligence & Analytics, Cyber Security Operations, Cyber Training & Awareness Research, Legal & Policy Compliance, and District Coordination.
The DGP informed that the war room would become operational within the next 30 days with advanced facilities. The existing 1930 cyber helpline will also be strengthened, alongside an integrated dashboard linked to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and the helpline system.
The DGP said “We are putting systems in place to contact banks within ten minutes of receiving a complaint and freeze funds in suspect accounts. We are also working with the RBI and leading banks to implement MuleHunter.AI for enhanced cyber fraud detection using technology and artificial intelligence.”
As part of capacity building, around 500 police officers will receive cyber crime training within a year. A three-tier architecture will be established with cyber units across 28 districts and four regional hubs. Large-scale awareness campaigns will also be conducted, with 3,000 programmes planned annually across multiple platforms and levels.
The DGP added that teams from AP CID and APTS had visited the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in New Delhi to study its systems and best practices. Based on those learnings, the state is designing a Cyber Fusion Centre. Agreements will also be signed with banks for 30-minute service-level response timelines (SLAs) and appointment of nodal officers. CCS police stations will be upgraded into specialised investigation units.
The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh must become a cyber crime-free state. Banks, the police department, APTS, and finance-related agencies must work in close coordination. As criminals constantly evolve new methods, police counter-strategies must also continuously adapt.”
The Chief Minister highlighted the growing threat of “digital arrest” scams, noting that even educated individuals are becoming victims.
“People must clearly understand that there is no such thing as a ‘digital arrest’. Those making fraudulent digital arrest calls must themselves be arrested. Strong action should be taken against such criminals. Cyber fraudsters are looting the life savings of hardworking citizens in the name of digital arrests, pushing many families into distress.”
The Chief Minister said Cyber criminals must be dealt with very strictly. Those attempting to cheat the people must realise that they cannot escape. Police action and investigations must create that level of fear among criminals.”
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