Legal information notice: this article provides general information and isn't a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer.
If you have lost money to an online scam, a fake shopping site, a UPI fraud call, or your bank account was hacked, the single biggest factor in getting your money back is speed. Banks can freeze a fraudulent transaction chain within a “golden hour” of the transfer — after that, the money moves through multiple accounts and becomes very hard to trace. Here is exactly how to file a cyber fraud complaint in India, step by step.
| Channel | Best For |
|---|---|
| 1930 Helpline | Immediate action to freeze funds right after the fraud — call this first |
| cybercrime.gov.in Portal | Formal complaint record, required for FIR/investigation follow-up |
| Your Bank (in writing) | Limiting your personal liability under RBI's unauthorised-transaction rules |
Dial 1930 immediately — India’s dedicated cyber fraud helpline, run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). It works directly with banks and wallets to request an immediate freeze on funds still sitting in the fraudster’s account. Keep your bank statement, transaction ID, and date/time ready before you call.
Go to cybercrime.gov.in and file a complaint. You do not need to visit a police station first — this online complaint is legally valid and gets forwarded to the relevant state cybercrime cell automatically.
Separately from the cybercrime portal, send a written complaint (email is fine) to your bank’s fraud/dispute department. Reporting within 3 working days of noticing the fraud can significantly limit your liability under RBI’s guidelines.
The portal generates an acknowledgment number — save this. The complaint gets routed to the cybercrime cell with jurisdiction. For larger amounts, an FIR is typically registered under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (commonly Section 66C or 66D) alongside the relevant cheating provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (which replaced the old Section 420 IPC) — a lawyer can confirm exact sections for your facts.
Cybercrime cells handle a high volume of complaints. Check your status periodically using your acknowledgment number. If there’s no movement after a few weeks, a written follow-up (or a lawyer’s notice to the investigating officer) often helps.
Exactly what’s needed can vary depending on the type of fraud and how the investigation develops — the portal will prompt you for anything additional.
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal automatically routes your complaint to the cybercrime cell with jurisdiction — typically based on where the bank account you operate from is located, or where the fraud actually took place. You don’t need to figure this out yourself before filing; the portal handles the routing. If you later need to follow up in person, this is the police station/cybercrime cell your complaint gets assigned to.
No — calling 1930 and filing on cybercrime.gov.in are both completely free. Costs only come in if you later need a lawyer: for example, to push a stalled investigation, file a civil recovery suit for a large amount, or handle a case involving a business/commercial transaction rather than a personal one.
Yes, for most straightforward cases — the 1930 helpline and cybercrime.gov.in are both designed to be used directly by the public, without needing legal representation. You should consider involving a lawyer when:
Once your complaint is registered, a few things typically happen next:
Need professional legal help with this?
Find a Lawyer on VidyodayFor more on related processes, see our guides on how to send a legal notice in India and how to file a consumer complaint if your fraud involved a fake online seller.
There’s no strict limitation period to file the complaint itself, but act within hours, not days — banks can only freeze funds that haven’t already been withdrawn or moved further down the chain of accounts.
No, filing a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or calling 1930 is completely free.
Not guaranteed — it depends on how fast you report and whether the funds are still traceable. Early reporting significantly improves the odds of a freeze/recovery.
Yes. Most online fraud complaints are filed against unknown persons — the investigation itself is meant to identify them using the transaction trail.
If you reported within the RBI-mandated timeline (generally within 3 working days), the bank is expected to limit your liability — if they still refuse, you can escalate to the Banking Ombudsman or consider a consumer complaint.
Yes, you can still file — jurisdiction and recovery become harder when the platform is foreign-based, but the portal accepts the complaint and investigators will assess what’s possible.
Yes — use the acknowledgment number generated when you filed to check status updates on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and procedures can change, and your situation may have details that change the right course of action — consult a lawyer before relying on this for a real case.
