Lost money to a scam? What to do in the first hour

Step by step

1. Report on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. Give the transaction details, the scammer’s UPI ID, account or phone number, and the time. Write down the acknowledgement number you get.
2. Call your bank. Use the number on your card, passbook or the bank’s official app, never one from a message or a search ad. Ask them to block your card or UPI if needed and to raise a fraud complaint. Follow it up in writing (email or a letter at the branch) and keep a copy.
3. Save the evidence. Screenshots of the chats, the numbers and UPI IDs used, links, transaction IDs (UTR numbers) and bank SMS. Don’t delete anything.
4. Lock things down. If you installed an app like AnyDesk or TeamViewer, remove it. Change your banking and email passwords, and sign out of other devices.
5. Report the number or message at sancharsaathi.gov.in (Chakshu) so it can be investigated.
6. Tell your family. Scammers often come back with a second story. People who know what happened can help you spot it.

Will the bank give the money back?

It depends on what happened and how fast you reported it. Under RBI rules on unauthorised electronic transactions, if the fraud was not your fault (for example your card details were stolen from somewhere else) and you tell your bank within 3 working days, you should not lose anything. Reporting later, or cases where you shared an OTP or PIN yourself, can mean you carry some or all of the loss. Either way, reporting immediately stops further losses and gives the police the best chance to trace the money.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your bank must explain its own customer protection policy to you.

Beware of “recovery” scams

After you report a scam, you may be contacted by someone promising to get your money back for a fee: a “lawyer”, a “cyber cell officer” or a “recovery agent”. Real police and banks don’t charge you to recover your money. Anyone who asks for a fee is a second scammer.

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