Legal information notice: this article provides general information and isn't a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer.
Whatever kind of cybercrime happened to you — financial fraud, hacking, cyberbullying, or a crime against a woman or child — the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) is the single official starting point. Here’s exactly how the portal works, what each complaint category means, and how to actually get through the process.
Run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, cybercrime.gov.in lets you file a complaint online without needing to visit a police station first. Your complaint is automatically routed to the cybercrime cell with jurisdiction over your case, and you get an acknowledgment number to track it.
Visit cybercrime.gov.in directly — avoid searching for it, since fake lookalike sites do exist. Bookmark the official URL for future use.
Select “Report Financial Fraud” for money-related cybercrime, “Report Crime Related to Women/Children” for harassment or obscene content (with an anonymous filing option), or “Report Other Cyber Crime” for everything else, like hacking.
You’ll need to verify your mobile number via OTP to proceed (except for the anonymous women/child category, which has a different flow). Keep your phone accessible.
Provide a clear, chronological description of what happened, along with supporting evidence — screenshots, transaction IDs, messages, or call logs. The more specific and organized your evidence, the easier the investigation.
Once submitted, you’ll get an acknowledgment/complaint number — save this immediately. It’s how you’ll track your complaint’s status going forward.
Choosing the right category upfront isn’t just a formality — it determines which specialized team within the cybercrime cell first reviews your case, which can affect how quickly it moves. If you’re ever unsure between “Financial Fraud” and “Other Cyber Crime” for a case involving both money and a technical element (like a hacked account used to make a fraudulent transfer), lead with Financial Fraud, since it’s tied to the urgent 1930 helpline process.
Before you start filling out the form, it also helps to have your evidence organized in one folder — screenshots, transaction IDs, and a simple written timeline — rather than gathering it as you go. The portal doesn’t save partially-filled forms indefinitely, so having everything ready in advance avoids having to start over.
With that preparation done, here’s a quick side-by-side of what actually separates the three categories:
| Category | Key Difference |
|---|---|
| Financial Fraud | Linked with the 1930 helpline for urgent fund-freeze requests; no anonymous option |
| Women/Child Related Crime | Only category allowing fully anonymous filing |
| Other Cyber Crime | For hacking, phishing, and technical crimes without a direct financial loss |
No — filing through the portal is a legally valid complaint on its own, and it gets automatically forwarded to the appropriate state cybercrime cell. You may be contacted later for a statement or additional evidence, but you don’t need to initiate contact with a police station yourself first.
Filing a complaint on the portal is completely free, regardless of which category you use. You should never be asked to pay any fee to register or track a complaint on this portal.
Yes — the portal is built specifically for members of the public to use directly, without legal representation. A lawyer becomes useful only if:
Need professional legal help with this?
Find a Lawyer on VidyodayIf your specific situation is UPI fraud, a hacked bank account, or credit card fraud, our dedicated guides on UPI fraud, a hacked bank account, and credit card fraud walk through those exact processes alongside this portal.
Only under the “Report Crime Related to Women/Children” category — financial fraud and other cybercrime complaints require mobile number verification and are not anonymous.
It’s generally not a major issue — the cybercrime cell reviewing your complaint can redirect it appropriately, though choosing correctly upfront speeds things up.
There’s no strict limitation period for filing, but for financial fraud specifically, filing within hours rather than days significantly improves the chance of freezing funds before they’re moved.
Generally, complaints should be filed by the affected person, but in cases involving a minor or someone unable to file themselves, a parent/guardian or authorized person can file on their behalf.
Screenshots of the fraudulent messages/calls, transaction confirmations and UTR numbers, chat logs, and any other documentation directly relevant to the incident — more organized evidence generally means a faster review.
Return to the portal and use the “Track Your Complaint” or similar option, entering your acknowledgment number and registered mobile number.
Try again after a few minutes, ensure you have signal, and check you’re entering the number registered correctly; persistent issues are worth reporting to the portal’s own helpdesk contact listed on the site.
You should be contacted or able to check status through the portal, though communication timelines can vary depending on how the relevant cybercrime cell is handling case volume.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Portal features and processes can be updated by I4C/MHA — verify current steps directly on cybercrime.gov.in before relying on this for a real complaint.
