Cyber Crime Complaint

A formal complaint reporting an online or technology-enabled offence — financial fraud, identity theft, harassment, unauthorised access, data theft, impersonation or digital extortion.

Through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, by calling 1930 for cyber financial fraud, or at a cyber police station or local police station. In financial fraud the helpline and the portal come first, because they are the fastest route to the banking channel.

Call 1930, inform your bank, file on the cyber portal and preserve everything — transaction IDs, UTR numbers, screenshots, messages and call logs. Speed matters more here than in almost any other area of law.

Sometimes. Recovery depends on how fast the report reaches the banking channel, whether the funds are still traceable, how the beneficiary banks respond and whether the trail can be frozen before the money is layered further. Nobody can promise recovery, and you should be wary of anyone who does.

The national helpline for reporting cyber financial fraud in India. It exists to get a suspicious transaction into the banking system quickly.

No, but it materially protects your position. Under the RBI framework on unauthorised electronic banking transactions, a customer generally bears zero liability where the loss arises from a third-party breach with no customer fault and the transaction is reported within three working days of receiving the bank’s communication. Reporting between four and seven working days attracts limited liability subject to prescribed caps.

Beyond seven working days, liability is determined by the bank’s board-approved policy. The practical position weakens with every day of delay, both for liability and for tracing.

Where the loss arises from customer negligence, such as sharing payment credentials, the customer generally bears the loss until the transaction is reported. Report it anyway and immediately, because liability stops accruing from the point of reporting.

Principally the Information Technology Act, 2000 for cyber offences, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 for the underlying criminal offences, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for procedure, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 for electronic evidence.

Because section numbering changed entirely on 1 July 2024. A complaint drafted from an old template citing IPC and CrPC sections signals carelessness and can cause avoidable confusion at the registration stage.

Very. Cyber cases are built almost entirely on electronic records — screenshots, chats, emails, logs, URLs and statements. Sections 61 to 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam govern their admissibility, and evidence collected carelessly is harder to rely on later.

Yes, subject to the electronic evidence requirements. Preserve the original device and the full conversation rather than isolated cropped screenshots, because context and continuity are what give the record weight.

Yes. Most cyber complaints begin against unknown accused. What matters is that the facts, digital traces, account numbers and timeline are set out clearly enough for investigation to start.

Yes, both to the platform for takedown and through the cyber complaint route where identity misuse, harassment or fraud is involved. Preserve the profile URL and screenshots before reporting, because takedown removes the evidence too.

Yes. Threats, stalking, abusive messaging, blackmail and sustained harassment can be reported through the portal and police channels, and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal has a dedicated route for offences against women and children.

Report immediately and do not pay. Preserve the messages and profile details, avoid further engagement, and use the portal’s dedicated reporting category. These matters are handled confidentially and urgency genuinely helps.

Where the information discloses a cognizable offence, escalation is available — a written representation to the Superintendent of Police, and thereafter the Magistrate route under the BNSS. A Zero FIR can also be registered at any police station irrespective of territorial jurisdiction.

An FIR registered at a police station that does not have territorial jurisdiction, later transferred to the station that does. It exists so that jurisdiction arguments do not delay urgent registration.

Yes. Accounts that receive funds connected to a reported fraud can be frozen, sometimes several transfers removed from the original fraud and without any wrongdoing by the account holder.

Assemble the source-of-funds documentation and transaction trail, and make a documented representation to the investigating officer and the bank. For businesses this is urgent, because a frozen operating account stops payroll and vendor payments within days.

Yes, through an authorised signatory with board or management authorisation, supported by internal records such as access logs, email headers and accounting entries.

No. CERT-In reporting applies to specified cyber incidents affecting covered entities, within six hours. An individual fraud victim uses 1930, the portal and the police route instead.

Take it seriously and answer it properly. A casual reply can create admissions, and ignoring it worsens your position. Have the notice reviewed and a considered response prepared before you say anything on record.

Two, usually together: waiting before reporting, and deleting the evidence. Chats get cleared out of embarrassment, devices get formatted, and the record that would have supported the complaint disappears.

We handle evidence review, complaint drafting, reporting strategy, bank and platform coordination, notice replies and case preparation. Appearance is through enrolled advocates.