How To · Cyber Fraud · Money Recovery
How to Report Cyber Fraud and Try to Recover Your Money
If money has left your bank account, UPI or card to a fraudster, the single most useful thing you can do is report it fast, because a quick report can get the receiving account frozen before the money is withdrawn. India runs a national cyber fraud helpline on 1930 and an online portal at cybercrime.gov.in, both connected to the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System that places a hold on the suspect account. The first hour after the fraud, often called the golden hour, is when a freeze is most likely to work. This page gives you the real steps: who to call first, what details to keep ready, how to file and track the complaint, how a refund actually happens, and what to do if the matter turns into a formal criminal case. It is general information for India, not legal advice. Last verified October 2026.
- Call first: 1930 and your bank, within the first hour, to try to freeze the money.
- File online: cybercrime.gov.in, "Report Financial Fraud", and save the acknowledgement number.
- Keep ready: transaction ID, amount, time, fraudster details, screenshots and a bank statement entry.
- Refund: the held amount is usually released back to you on a court order, not automatically.
- Honesty: once an FIR is filed the matter is a criminal case, and recovery can depend on that case.
01Act in the first hour
Speed decides whether you get your money back. The moment you realise you have been defrauded, do two things at once:
- Call 1930. This is the national cyber fraud helpline. The operator records the transaction and triggers a request to the receiving bank or wallet to put the amount on hold.
- Tell your own bank. Call the number on your card or in your bank app, report the unauthorised transaction and ask them to flag the beneficiary account. Many banks also have a 24x7 fraud line.
The faster the report, the better the odds, because once the fraudster moves the money out of the first account it becomes very hard to trace. Reporting within the first hour, the golden hour, gives the best chance of a freeze.
02How to report the fraud
There are two official ways to report, and you should use both:
- Helpline 1930: call and give the transaction details. The complaint is logged and routed to the banks involved.
- Portal cybercrime.gov.in: choose "Report Financial Fraud", register with your mobile number and OTP, and file the full complaint with screenshots and the money trail.
After the online complaint you will get an acknowledgement number. Keep it safe, because you need it to track the case and to follow up with the bank. If a phone number or SIM was used to cheat you, you can also report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal at sancharsaathi.gov.in.
For non-financial cybercrime such as social media impersonation or hacking, use the general complaint flow on the same portal instead of the financial fraud flow.
03What you need ready
Have these ready before you file, so the report is complete the first time:
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date and time of the transaction | Fixes the golden hour and the money trail |
| Amount and transaction or UPI reference ID | Lets the bank identify and hold the exact payment |
| Your account or card number | Identifies the account the money left from |
| The fraudster details you have | Phone number, UPI ID, website, account number, links |
| Screenshots and messages | Proof of the fraud, chats, SMS and payment receipts |
| A bank statement entry | Shows the debit and the beneficiary |
Do not delete any message or call record from the fraudster. If you shared an OTP, card details or a screen-sharing app, note that too, because it helps the investigators and your bank assess the claim.
04How the money is recovered
Reporting on 1930 or the portal sends an alert through the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System to every bank in the chain. If the money is still sitting in a beneficiary account, that bank can place a lien or hold on it.
The money is not refunded to you automatically. The usual path is:
- The suspect amount is held in the fraudster account.
- The police register the complaint and may seek the money to be returned.
- In practice the refund often comes after an order from a court, so the held amount is released back to the genuine victim.
If your own bank was at fault, the RBI customer protection rules on limited liability for unauthorised electronic transactions can apply. Report to the bank quickly and in writing, because your liability is lowest when you report without delay. See rbi.org.in for the customer protection framework.
05Track your complaint
Log in to cybercrime.gov.in and use "Check Status" with your acknowledgement number to see where your complaint has reached. You can also:
- Call 1930 again with the acknowledgement number for an update.
- Visit the local cyber police station or the nearest police station, which must register your complaint.
- Follow up with your bank in writing and keep every reply.
If the police convert the complaint into a First Information Report, the matter becomes a formal criminal case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Information Technology Act 2000. From that point the case moves through the criminal courts, and that is where tracking it matters.
06When it becomes a criminal case
A cyber fraud complaint that leads to an FIR becomes a criminal case, and recovery of your money often depends on the outcome of that case and the court order that releases the frozen funds. The offences are now charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, which replaced the old Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code for offences on or after 1 July 2024, read with the Information Technology Act 2000. The section numbering is new, so confirm the exact sections against the bare Act.
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Once an FIR is filed and the case reaches a court, you can create a FREE Claw account and track the matter across the criminal court that hears it. Claw covers 9,102 courts, benches and forums, so there is a real tracking home for the case by its number, with hearing dates and orders as they are uploaded, and judgment search spans 30 crore+ judgments with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990. Results return in under 5 seconds, and Claw does not train its AI models on your documents. A tracked case tells you when an order for release of the held money is passed, but it does not by itself recover the money, and this page is not legal advice on your matter.
07Sources and further reading
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: cybercrime.gov.in
- Reserve Bank of India (customer protection, unauthorised transactions): rbi.org.in
- Sanchar Saathi (report a fraudulent number): sancharsaathi.gov.in
- eCourts (criminal case status): ecourts.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This page is general information for India, not legal advice. For your own matter, consult a lawyer or the investigating officer.
08Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do after a cyber fraud?
Call 1930 and your bank immediately, then file on cybercrime.gov.in. The faster you report, ideally within the first hour, the better the chance the receiving account is frozen before the money is withdrawn.
Will I get my money back?
Sometimes. If the money is still in a beneficiary account it can be held, and it is usually released back to you later, often on a court order. If the fraudster has already withdrawn it, recovery is much harder, which is why speed matters.
Is 1930 free?
Yes, 1930 is the national cyber fraud helpline. You can also file online at cybercrime.gov.in and at your local cyber police station or nearest police station.
What documents do I need?
The date and time, the amount and transaction or UPI reference ID, your account or card number, any fraudster details such as a phone number or UPI ID, screenshots of chats and payments, and a bank statement showing the debit.
What if my bank was careless?
The RBI customer protection rules on unauthorised electronic transactions can limit your liability, and your liability is lowest when you report the transaction to the bank quickly and in writing. Keep a record of every report and reply.
How do I track the complaint?
Log in to cybercrime.gov.in and use Check Status with your acknowledgement number, follow up on 1930, and ask the police about the FIR. Once a court case starts, you can track it by its case number across the court that hears it.