Report Cyber Fraud on 1930: Step-by-Step 2026

Reviewed on: 2026-06-19.

Your bank and the police can act fastest if you report within hours, not days. The earlier you report, the better the chance that the fraudulent transfer can be flagged before it is withdrawn.

Step 1 - Call 1930 right now.
1930 is India's dedicated Cyber Crime Helpline, run under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Keep the call short and factual: your name, your phone number, your bank account number, the amount debited, the approximate time of the transaction, and the number or link that was used to defraud you. The operator logs your complaint and can coordinate with banks and payment networks.

Step 2 - Call or message your bank's 24×7 fraud hotline.
This is equally urgent. Under the RBI's Customer Protection Directions, if you report an unauthorised transaction to your bank within 3 working days of receiving the bank's alert, you bear zero liability and the bank must reverse the amount within 10 working days. If you report between 4 and 7 working days, your liability is capped:

• BSBD (Jan Dhan) accounts: ₹5,000
• Savings and prepaid accounts: ₹10,000
• Current, cash-credit and credit-card accounts: ₹25,000

Beyond 7 working days, the bank's board-approved policy applies and recovery becomes harder. So call your bank on the same day, not tomorrow.

Step 3 - File online at cybercrime.gov.in.
A formal written complaint on the portal creates a police-trackable record. You can file even if you have already called 1930 - the helpline call and the online complaint work together.

Have these ready before you open the portal or call 1930. The more accurate your information, the faster the action.

• Your full name, registered mobile number, and email address
• Your bank account number and IFSC code
• The exact amount and date-time of the fraudulent debit
• The transaction reference number (UTR / transaction ID) from your bank alert SMS or passbook
• The fraudster's phone number, UPI ID, bank account number, or wallet ID if you know it
• Screenshots of any suspicious SMS, WhatsApp message, email, or website
• Your bank statement showing the debit
• Any money transfer receipt or online payment confirmation

Save all of these to a folder. Do not delete any message or notification, even if it looks like junk.

1. Open cybercrime.gov.in in your browser.
2. Click “Report Financial Fraud” on the home page.
3. Select your fraud type from the list: Online Banking Fraud, UPI Fraud, Internet Banking Fraud, Debit/Credit Card Fraud, SIM Swap, or another relevant category.
4. Enter your mobile number. You will receive an OTP valid for 30 minutes. Enter it to proceed.
5. Fill in your personal details: name, address, ID type, and ID number.
6. Fill in the fraud details: bank account or wallet, transaction ID, amount, date, and how the fraud happened.
7. Attach supporting files: screenshots, bank statement, any communication from the fraudster.
8. Review all entries for accuracy. Submit the complaint.
9. Note down the Complaint Reference Number shown on screen. You will also receive it by SMS and email. This number lets you track your cybercrime complaint status later.

If the fraudster contacted you through a phone call or SMS, also report the number to Sanchar Saathi at sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc. Select the fraud category, enter the number, attach a screenshot, and submit. This triggers telecom action and can disconnect the number used to cheat you. Reporting here does not replace the cybercrime.gov.in complaint - file both.

For UPI-specific fraud, also raise a dispute directly in your UPI app (Google Pay, PhonePe, BHIM, or your bank app) under the relevant transaction. See our guide on how to file a UPI fraud complaint for the in-app steps.

• Your bank is required to acknowledge your complaint immediately and give you a complaint number.
• The bank must provisionally credit the disputed amount to your account within 10 working days while the investigation runs. The full resolution must happen within 90 days.
• Law enforcement agencies and the police access complaints filed on cybercrime.gov.in and may contact you for a statement or additional details.
• In financial fraud cases, the I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre) under MHA coordinates across banks and payment networks to flag the fraudster's account.
• Keep checking your complaint on the portal using the reference number. If there is no action within a reasonable period, escalate (see below).

If the fraud involved an OTP that was given unknowingly or obtained by impersonation, also read our page on OTP bank scam complaints and how to claim a cyber fraud money refund once your complaint is registered.

The 1930 helpline and cybercrime.gov.in accept financial cyber fraud complaints including:

• UPI fraud - money transferred by tricking you into paying or sharing a QR code
• Internet banking fraud - credentials stolen or phished
• Debit or credit card fraud - card cloned, skimmed, or used without your knowledge
• SIM swap fraud - fraudster ported your number to intercept OTPs
• Vishing (voice phishing) - caller impersonated bank, TRAI, police, or income tax officials
• Online job, loan, or investment fraud - promised returns that never arrived
• Lottery or prize scam - asked to pay fees to claim a prize
• Sextortion - threatened with private images unless money is paid

For complaints about the banking institution itself (delays in reversing money, unfair bank conduct), you may separately approach the Banking Ombudsman under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.

1930 is India's national Cyber Crime Helpline, operated under the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls are free from most networks. The helpline connects you to the national cyber fraud reporting system and can coordinate with your bank in urgent financial fraud cases.

No. You can report online at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 without visiting a police station. After your online complaint is received, the local cyber cell or police may contact you for a formal statement or FIR. You can ask for a copy of the FIR once registered.

Report immediately anyway. Even if the money has moved, flagging the destination account through 1930 and the portal can help prevent the fraudster from withdrawing it before action is taken. Banks and payment networks can mark an account suspicious and slow further movement. Your chances improve the sooner you report, but reporting late is still better than not reporting.

No. Filing on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in is self-service. You do not need a lawyer, advocate, or paid service. Be cautious of anyone who offers to file a cyber fraud complaint for a fee - that is itself a secondary scam.

Under RBI rules, if you reported to your bank within 3 working days, the bank must provisionally credit the disputed amount within 10 working days of your complaint. The full investigation and final resolution must be completed within 90 working days. These are bank-level obligations. Recovery from the cybercrime investigation is a separate process and can take longer.

If you shared an OTP because a fraudster impersonated a bank official, you can still escalate. First, raise a written complaint with your bank's nodal officer. If the bank rejects your complaint or does not respond within 30 days, file a complaint with the RBI Banking Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in under the Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. Attach all communication with the bank.

You can report women- and child-related cyber crimes anonymously on cybercrime.gov.in. Financial fraud complaints require your name and a verified mobile number because the complaint is tracked and investigated, and you need to receive the acknowledgment number.

This is called “digital arrest” scam or police impersonation fraud. Report it on 1930 and on cybercrime.gov.in under the “Other Cyber Crime” category. Also note: no genuine police officer, CBI official, ED officer, or court will ever demand money by phone or video call, or threaten to arrest you remotely.

File an RTI to: the State Cyber Cell / Nodal Cyber Crime officer and your bank

If your complaint on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in has received no update after a reasonable period, you can file an RTI application to the relevant public authority for information on the action taken. Suggested questions:

• What action was taken on my complaint number [reference] filed on [date]?
• Has an FIR been registered? If yes, provide the FIR number and police station.
• Which bank or payment network was contacted, and what was their response?
• Has any amount been frozen or recovered in connection with the complaint?
• What is the name and designation of the officer assigned to my complaint?

→ Use our free AI RTI Drafter to generate a complete Section 6(1) application.

• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (MHA / I4C): cybercrime.gov.in
• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): i4c.mha.gov.in
• Sanchar Saathi - Suspected Fraud Communication Reporting: sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc
• RBI Notification: Customer Protection - Limiting Liability for Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions (Ref: RBI/2017-18/15, Id 11040): rbi.org.in
• RBI Integrated Ombudsman Complaint Portal: cms.rbi.org.in

By Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak