Lost money to an online scam? Act in the first hour
Call 1930, file at cybercrime.gov.in, tell your bank: the first-hour steps, RBI zero-liability rules, scams to recognise, and how frozen money is released.
In short
- Call 1930 now. It is the national cyber fraud helpline; the first hour is when banks can still freeze the money in the fraudster's account.
- Then file the complaint at cybercrime.gov.in and note the acknowledgement number. Also report to your bank in writing the same day.
- Save everything: screenshots, numbers, UPI IDs, transaction references, call recordings.
- Under RBI rules, if you report an unauthorised transaction within 3 working days and the fault was not yours, your liability is zero.
- No police, CBI, customs or court will ever "arrest you on video call" or ask for money to clear your name. Hang up.
Stolen money moves in minutes through a chain of "mule" accounts and is withdrawn before most victims have finished panicking. The system built to fight this, the 1930 helpline and the cybercrime.gov.in portal run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Home Ministry, works best in the first hour. This guide tells you what to do, in order, and how to pursue the complaint afterwards.
Do this immediately
- Call 1930 from any phone. Keep ready: your bank and account number, the transaction ID or UTR, the amount, the time, and the UPI ID or account you paid to. The operator raises a ticket that goes to your bank and the receiving bank, which can put a hold on the money if it is still there.
- Register the complaint online at cybercrime.gov.in ("Report Cyber Crime", then financial fraud), with screenshots and transaction proofs. Note the acknowledgement number.
- Call your bank's fraud line and block the card, UPI and net banking. Ask for a complaint reference number, and email the bank the same day so the date of reporting is on record.
- Secure your phone and accounts. Change your banking, email and UPI PINs from a clean device. Uninstall any app or "screen-sharing" tool you installed at the caller's request, and turn off call forwarding.
- Preserve evidence. Screenshots of chats, the caller's number, the website, the app's name, bank SMS alerts and your call log. Do not delete anything.
- If your SIM or phone was taken over, use sancharsaathi.gov.in to block the handset and check which numbers are issued in your name.
What the law says
Cheating by a fake caller, website or app is a crime under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): cheating Sec 318 BNS, cheating by personation (pretending to be an official or a bank) Sec 319 BNS, extortion Sec 308 BNS and criminal intimidation Sec 351 BNS. The Information Technology Act, 2000 adds identity theft Sec 66C IT Act and cheating by personation using a computer resource Sec 66D IT Act. These are cognizable offences (police can register an FIR without a court order).
Your money is protected by the Reserve Bank's circular on limiting customer liability in unauthorised electronic banking transactions (2017). In short:
- If the fraud happened because of the bank's fault or a breach elsewhere in the system, and you report within 3 working days, you bear nothing.
- If you report between 4 and 7 working days, your liability is capped (₹10,000 for most savings accounts). After 7 days the bank's own policy applies.
- The bank must credit the disputed amount back to your account within 10 working days of your report while it investigates.
- Where the loss happened because you shared an OTP, PIN or password, you bear the loss until you report it; after that, further loss is the bank's. This is why the time of your report matters.
If the bank rejects your claim or does not respond within 30 days, complain free to the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in.
The scams doing the rounds
- "Digital arrest". A caller on video with a police or CBI backdrop says a parcel in your name contains drugs, or your Aadhaar is linked to money laundering, and you are "under digital arrest" until you transfer money to a "safe account". There is no such thing as a digital arrest or a government safe account. Real agencies summon you in writing, never on WhatsApp.
- Investment and trading groups. A WhatsApp or Telegram group shows huge profits and a "mentor"; small withdrawals work at first; then your deposits are locked behind a "tax" or "unlock fee".
- Task or part-time job scams. Small payouts first, then prepayment for bigger tasks that never pay.
- KYC, electricity, PAN or bank "update" links by SMS or WhatsApp, and APK files that install malware and read your OTPs.
- Fake customer-care numbers in search results, and "refund" calls asking you to install a screen-sharing app.
- Sextortion: a video call is recorded and used to demand money. Do not pay; report at cybercrime.gov.in, where such complaints can be filed anonymously.
After the first hour: following up
- Within a day or two, go to the police station or district cyber cell with your acknowledgement number and ask for an FIR. Cheating is cognizable, so police must register it; see our FIR guide if they refuse.
- Track your complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and follow up with the investigating officer. Ask whether any amount has been put on hold ("lien marked") in the receiving accounts.
- Money on hold is not returned automatically. You apply to the Magistrate's court for its release, with the FIR, the bank's confirmation of the hold and your ID. A legal aid lawyer (15100) can file the application.
- Pursue the bank under the RBI rules, and go to the Ombudsman after 30 days.
Ramesh, a 67-year-old retired teacher in Nagpur, gets a video call from a "CBI officer" who says a parcel with drugs has been seized in his name. Frightened, he transfers ₹2.4 lakh to a "verification account" at 11.20 am. His daughter arrives at noon, recognises the scam and calls 1930 at 12.10 pm with the UTR number. By evening ₹1.9 lakh is on hold in two mule accounts. They file on cybercrime.gov.in, email the bank, and register an FIR the next day. Three months later, on an application to the Magistrate with the bank's hold confirmation, the ₹1.9 lakh is released to Ramesh.
Keep these ready
- Bank account number, the transaction IDs or UTRs, exact amounts and times, and the bank SMS alerts.
- The UPI ID, account number, phone number, website or app you paid or interacted with.
- Screenshots of chats, emails, the "official" ID card shown to you, and any call recording.
- Your 1930 ticket number, portal acknowledgement number, bank complaint reference, and later the FIR copy.
- ID proof and a cancelled cheque for the refund application.
The second scam follows the first: "recovery agents" or "RBI officers" who call victims and promise to recover the money for a fee. Nobody from 1930, the police, the bank or RBI will ever ask you to pay to get your money back.
Where to go
- Immediately: 1930 (national cyber crime helpline), then cybercrime.gov.in. Emergency or threats: 112.
- Your bank: fraud helpline and email the same day; then the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in if the bank does not resolve it in 30 days.
- Police: the nearest police station or the district cyber crime cell for the FIR; the Magistrate's court to release frozen money.
- Phone and SIM: sancharsaathi.gov.in to block a lost handset, check SIMs in your name and report suspicious calls (Chakshu).
- Free legal help: 15100 (NALSA).
Common questions
Will I get my money back?
It depends mostly on speed. If you call 1930 within the first hour or two, there is a real chance the money is still in the receiving account and can be frozen; once withdrawn or layered through many accounts, recovery is rare. Separately, if the transaction was unauthorised and you reported within 3 working days, the RBI rules make the bank bear the loss unless you shared your credentials.
I shared the OTP myself. Is it still worth reporting?
Yes, always. Reporting at once limits your liability from that moment under the RBI rules, allows the receiving account to be frozen, and creates the record you need for the FIR and any refund. Sharing an OTP under deception is still cheating by the fraudster, not a crime by you.
Do I need an FIR or is the online complaint enough?
The 1930 call and the portal complaint are what freeze money fast. An FIR is still needed for the investigation and for the court order that releases frozen funds, and banks often ask for it. Take your acknowledgement number to the police station within a few days.
Can the police really arrest me over a video call or a courier parcel?
No. There is no "digital arrest" in Indian law. An arrest needs a physical officer, grounds given to you and production before a Magistrate within 24 hours; summons come in writing. Any caller who keeps you on a video call and asks for money to "verify" or "clear" you is a criminal. End the call and dial 1930.
Someone used my account as a "mule" or I lent my account for a commission. What now?
Letting others route money through your account can make you an accused in the fraud case and get your account frozen. Report it to the bank and police yourself, with the chats showing how you were approached. Never rent out your bank account, SIM or UPI ID.
This article is general information for awareness, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an advocate or call free legal aid at 15100.
