Nepal Launches 24-Hour Cyber Fraud Center in Kathmandu

Authorities in Nepal are establishing an Integrated Cyber Fraud Response Centre to operate around the clock, aiming to significantly speed up the freezing of funds stolen through digital scams. Based in the new building of the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau in Kathmandu, the facility will officially launch on November 6 following completed preparations by the Interior Ministry. The initiative brings together police, the central bank, commercial banks, payment companies, telecommunications operators, and internet service providers to tackle rising digital crimes.

The center is designed to handle complaints submitted through hotlines, information channels, the Nagarik App, Nepal Police App, an online portal, and other platforms. Once received, reports must be entered into the case management system, classified, and prioritized within ten minutes. Staff representatives from banks, payment system operators, and payment services are then required to identify the recipient account, e-wallet, transaction time, and fund route within the next 10 to 30 minutes.

Nepal's new 24-hour cyber response center aims to freeze stolen digital funds within an hour.

Within 10 to 60 minutes of receiving a report, the facility will send formal requests to freeze targeted accounts and funds. If money has already been transferred further down the line, personnel are mandated to trace the entire transaction chain and initiate freezes on every subsequent account or wallet. During this same 60-minute window, mobile numbers and SIM cards involved in fraudulent schemes will be deactivated, while phishing domains and IP addresses will be blocked through internet service providers.

According to operational guidelines, 114 personnel will staff the center across three shifts, with contributions from the Nepal Police, commercial banks, telecom operators like Nepal Telecom and Ncell, and payment services including Khalti and eSewa. Other financial institutions and payment providers must appoint contact staff available on a 24-hour basis. An automated AFRS system is also under development to streamline alerts, record reports, and maintain a centralized database.

Why it matters

Previous delays in institutional coordination often allowed stolen money to disappear entirely from the financial system before it could be recovered. By enforcing strict response windows of under an hour for tracking funds, deactivating malicious SIM cards, and freezing accounts, the new center transforms how authorities combat digital fraud.