Legal information notice: this article provides general information and isn't a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer.
Whether you borrowed a small amount or fell behind on repayments, an instant loan app cannot lawfully abuse you, call your relatives and colleagues, or shame you publicly. This guide is about the rights you have as a borrower — even if you owe money — and the exact places to complain when an app or its recovery agents cross the line.
RBI’s rules for regulated lenders require agents to behave civilly, and contact hours are limited to 8 AM to 7 PM. RBI tightened recovery norms in 2026, including limits on approaching relatives, friends or colleagues of the borrower and making the lender fully responsible for its agents’ conduct. Threats, abuse, public shaming and false claims of criminal action are not lawful recovery. Our guide on EMI recovery agent harassment covers the recovery rules in more detail.
Save messages, screenshots, call logs and, where you can lawfully do so, recordings. Note dates, times and the numbers used.
Write to the grievance officer named in the app or on the lender’s website, describing the conduct and attaching evidence. Keep the acknowledgement.
If the lender does not resolve the complaint within the timeline or rejects it, file on the RBI’s CMS portal under the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. The helpline is 14448.
If the app is not tied to a regulated lender, the RBI’s Sachet portal accepts complaints against unauthorised lending entities.
For threats, abuse, or misuse of your photos and contacts, report at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
Keep repaying what you genuinely owe through official channels and keep proof of each payment. Harassment does not cancel a lawful debt, and it does not have to be endured either.
| Lawful | Harassment |
|---|---|
| Contact with you only, between 8 AM and 7 PM, in a civil tone | Calls at night, abuse, repeated threats |
| Amounts match your loan agreement and disclosed charges | Inflated, changing demands |
| No contact with your family, friends or employer | Messages sent to your contacts to shame you |
| Identifiable lender with a grievance officer | Anonymous numbers and no grievance channel |
No. Complaints to the lender, the RBI’s CMS portal, Sachet and the cyber crime portal are free.
Yes. A lawyer is useful if you want a legal notice sent, if the lender is suing, or if the harassment has serious consequences for your job or family.
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Find a Lawyer on VidyodayRelated reading: online loan app harassment, loan app blackmail, and correcting a wrong CIBIL report.
For regulated lenders, RBI’s recovery norms restrict contacting relatives, friends and colleagues. Doing so to shame or pressure you is harassment.
RBI’s rules for regulated lenders limit contact to 8 AM to 7 PM.
First to the lender’s grievance officer, then on the RBI’s CMS portal at cms.rbi.org.in, or call 14448.
Use the RBI’s Sachet portal and file a cyber crime complaint. Unregulated apps are not covered by the Ombudsman scheme.
Regulated digital loans include a cooling-off period during which you can exit by repaying principal, proportionate interest and disclosed fees. Check your Key Fact Statement.
A lawful debt remains payable, but only in amounts consistent with your agreement. Harassment is separately reportable.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. RBI rules are updated periodically — check the current directions for your lender type.
