Cyber Fraud in India: What to Do in the First 48 Hours

When money leaves your account in an online fraud, the first 48 hours matter more than the next 48 days. Fraudsters move stolen money through chains of accounts within hours — the faster the trail is reported, the higher the chance of freezing funds before they vanish. This guide sets out exactly what to do, in order.

Hour 0–2: Report to 1930 — before anything else

Call 1930, the national cyber fraud helpline connected to the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System. Give the transaction details: your bank, the amount, transaction reference numbers, and the beneficiary details if visible. The system alerts the banks in the money trail so amounts still in transit can be put on hold. Every hour of delay reduces what can be frozen.

If you cannot get through, register the complaint directly at cybercrime.gov.in — the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Keep the acknowledgement number safely; every later step refers to it.

Hour 0–24: Tell your bank in writing

Call your bank’s fraud helpline, block the affected card/UPI/net-banking access, and follow up in writing (email to the bank’s registered grievance address) the same day. Under the RBI’s framework on unauthorised electronic transactions, a customer who reports promptly — within three working days — has zero liability for unauthorised transactions caused without their own negligence, with the bank required to reverse the amount within the prescribed period. Delay in reporting shifts liability towards the customer, so the written, dated complaint matters.

Hour 0–48: Preserve every scrap of evidence

• Screenshots of the fraudulent messages, calls list, emails, or website/app pages;
• Transaction SMS alerts and bank statements showing the debits;
• The phone numbers, UPI IDs, links and account numbers used by the fraudster;
• Do not delete the chats, uninstall the app, or format the phone — the device itself is evidence.

Within 48 hours: the police complaint

File a written complaint with the cyber crime police (Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates each have cybercrime wings). Attach the 1930/portal acknowledgement, the bank complaint and your evidence. Depending on facts, offences may fall under the Information Technology Act, 2000 — for instance identity theft (Section 66C) and cheating by personation using a computer resource (Section 66D) — alongside cheating provisions of the general criminal law.

After the first 48 hours: recovering your money

Recovery can come through more than one route, and they can run in parallel:

• Bank reversal under the RBI framework, where the report was timely;
• Release of frozen amounts — where 1930 reporting froze money in beneficiary accounts, its release back to victims follows a process before the concerned court/authority;
• Adjudication under the IT Act — the Adjudicating Officer (a state-level authority) can award compensation in certain cases involving computer-related contraventions;
• Criminal proceedings against traced accused, where restitution can also be sought.

Read next: Cybersecurity Laws in India and Cybersecurity for Small Businesses in Hyderabad.

This guide is general legal information for public awareness, not legal advice. Helpline numbers, portals and legal provisions are stated as commonly applicable at the time of writing. For advice on a specific matter, consult an advocate of your choice.