Cyber & Online Fraud
UPI fraud, online scams, hacked accounts and cyber cell complaints.
UPI and card fraud, online scams, hacked accounts and social-media impersonation belong here. Speed matters most: report fraud immediately on the national cyber-crime helpline 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in, ideally within the 'golden hour', to freeze the money trail — this is free. A supporting complaint or legal notice, if needed, costs ₹199–₹999 and is ready in 1–3 working days. Bank and payment-app grievance timelines run from days to a few weeks. The guides below show exactly what to do first; then get help with your complaint or talk to a lawyer free on WhatsApp.
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Loan App Harassment? RBI Rules, Where to Complain and How to Stop the Threats
Illegal loan apps that morph your photos, call your contacts or threaten you are breaking the law — RBI's digital-lending rules bind legitimate lenders, and harassment is a criminal offence. Preserve the evidence, report on cybercrime.gov.in and to RBI's Sachet portal within 24–48 hours, and do not pay extortion demands beyond what you actually borrowed.
WhatsApp or Instagram Hacked? Account Recovery + Cyber Cell Complaint
If your WhatsApp or Instagram is hacked, recover the account first — WhatsApp by re-registering your number with the SMS code (hacker logs out instantly), Instagram via instagram.com/hacked — then warn your contacts and report on cybercrime.gov.in within 24 hours. If the hacker asked anyone for money, call 1930 too. Everything is free.
Identity Theft and Aadhaar/PAN Misuse — Loans in Your Name, and How to Shut It Down
Discovered a loan, SIM or account you never took? That is identity theft — punishable under IT Act Section 66C and the BNS cheating provisions. Response: pull your credit reports (each bureau must give one free annually), dispute the fraudulent account with the lender and bureau in writing, lock your Aadhaar biometrics on myAadhaar, check SIMs on Sanchar Saathi, and file on cybercrime.gov.in. Bureaus must resolve disputes within 30 days.
Defamed or Abused Online? Takedowns, Defamation Law and Police Complaints
For defamatory posts, fake profiles or online abuse: preserve evidence first (URLs, screenshots, archives), report to the platform under the IT Rules (grievance officers must acknowledge in 24 hours and act on some content in 36–72 hours), then choose your legal track — criminal defamation complaint (Section 356 BNS, old 499/500 IPC), a civil suit for damages and injunction, or both. Advocate advice early is essential: defamation cases reward precision.
Scammed Online? Where to Complain — Fake Shopping, Job and Investment Frauds
For any online scam — fake shopping site, work-from-home job fraud, or an investment/trading app that vanished — report on cybercrime.gov.in and call 1930 if money moved, ideally within 24 hours. Complaints are free. For paid products and services, the consumer commission on e-Daakhil is a parallel route within 2 years.
Sextortion or Online Blackmail? Do Not Pay — Evidence, 1930 and Cybercrime Complaint
If someone threatens to leak your photos, videos or a recorded call unless you pay: do not pay — paying triggers escalating demands, not deletion. Preserve the evidence, cut contact, and report on cybercrime.gov.in (anonymous reporting is available) within 24 hours. If you already paid, call 1930 immediately to try to freeze the money.
SIM Swap Fraud — Signs, Emergency Response and Getting Your Money Back
In SIM swap fraud, criminals get a duplicate of your SIM and receive your OTPs — the tell-tale sign is your phone suddenly showing no network for hours. Act in minutes: call your telecom operator from another phone to block the duplicate, call bank hotlines to freeze accounts, then 1930 for any money moved. The RBI zero-liability rules apply — these are unauthorised transactions.
Money Gone in UPI Fraud? Act in 24 Hours — 1930 Helpline, Bank & Cybercrime Portal
If money left your account in a UPI fraud, act within the first 24 hours: call the national cyber helpline 1930 immediately so the amount can be frozen in the fraudster's account, report on cybercrime.gov.in, and complain to your bank in writing within 3 working days — RBI's zero-liability rules can make the bank bear the loss.