Cyber Complaint Preparation Guide
What to Prepare Before Filing a Cybercrime Complaint in India
Being the victim of a cybercrime can be stressful and confusing. Preparing the right information and evidence can help you explain what happened clearly and assist the relevant authorities in investigating the incident.
🚨 If you have suffered financial cyber fraud, do not wait to prepare a perfect complaint. Call 1930 and inform your bank immediately. You can organise additional evidence and documents afterward.
1. Understand What Happened
Before filing your complaint, take a moment to write down exactly what happened.
Ask yourself:
- How did the incident begin?
- When did it happen?
- How did the person contact you?
- What did they claim to be?
- What were you asked to do?
- Did you click a link?
- Did you install an application?
- Did you share any information?
- Did you transfer money?
- Was your account hacked?
- Were you threatened or blackmailed?
- When did you realise something was wrong?
Write the events in chronological order.
Example:
On 15 July 2026, at approximately 10:30 AM, I received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. The person claimed to be a bank representative and informed me that my KYC needed to be updated. I was asked to click a link and subsequently received a telephone call. Following the conversation, I noticed an unauthorised transaction of ₹50,000 from my bank account.
Keep your account factual and objective. Clearly distinguish between what you know and what you suspect.
2. Identify the Type of Cybercrime
Identify the category that best describes your complaint.
☐ UPI Fraud
☐ Bank Account Fraud
☐ Credit/Debit Card Fraud
☐ Investment Scam
☐ Job Scam
☐ Online Shopping Fraud
☐ Digital Arrest Scam
☐ Courier Scam
☐ Cryptocurrency Scam
☐ Loan App Fraud
☐ Identity Theft
☐ WhatsApp Hacking
☐ Social Media Account Hacking
☐ Social Media Impersonation
☐ Sextortion
☐ Cyberstalking
☐ Online Harassment
☐ Phishing
☐ Malware/Ransomware
☐ Data Theft
☐ Other: ______________________
Selecting the correct category can help you organise the relevant facts and evidence.
3. Collect Your Basic Information
Keep the following details ready:
Victim Details
☐ Full name
☐ Mobile number
☐ Email address
☐ Address
☐ Identity document, if required
☐ Details of affected bank or digital accounts
Incident Details
☐ Date of incident
☐ Approximate time
☐ Location, if relevant
☐ Type of cybercrime
☐ Brief description of what happened
☐ Amount of financial loss, if any
4. Record the Offender’s Details
Preserve every detail you have about the suspected offender.
☐ Name or alias
☐ Phone number
☐ WhatsApp number
☐ Email address
☐ UPI ID
☐ Bank account number
☐ IFSC code
☐ Social media username
☐ Social media profile URL
☐ Telegram username
☐ Website URL
☐ App name
☐ Cryptocurrency wallet address
☐ Other identifying information
Take screenshots of relevant profiles and, wherever possible, save the complete URL or profile link.
5. Preserve Your Communications
Keep all communications exchanged with the suspected offender.
☐ WhatsApp chats
☐ Telegram messages
☐ SMS
☐ Emails
☐ Social media messages
☐ Voice messages
☐ Call logs
☐ Call recordings, where lawfully available
☐ Video call details
☐ Documents sent by the offender
☐ Links sent by the offender
Important: Do not delete the original conversation after taking screenshots. Screenshots are useful, but the original communication should be preserved wherever possible.
6. Collect Financial Transaction Details
If you have lost money, collect details of every transaction.
For each transaction, record:
- Date
- Time
- Amount
- Transaction ID
- UTR number
- UPI ID
- Beneficiary account number
- IFSC code
- Bank name
- Payment method
Financial Evidence Checklist
☐ Bank statement
☐ UPI transaction receipt
☐ Transaction ID/UTR
☐ SMS transaction alert
☐ Email transaction alert
☐ Credit/debit card statement
☐ Wallet transaction details
☐ Cryptocurrency wallet address
☐ Blockchain transaction hash
🚨 Important
If you have suffered a financial cyber fraud, call 1930 and contact your bank immediately. Do not delay reporting while trying to collect every document.
7. Preserve Digital Evidence
Depending on your case, preserve:
☐ Screenshots
☐ Emails
☐ Chats
☐ SMS messages
☐ Bank statements
☐ Transaction receipts
☐ Fraudulent website pages
☐ Social media profiles
☐ Phone numbers
☐ Email addresses
☐ UPI IDs
☐ Website URLs
☐ Suspicious applications
☐ Login alerts
☐ Password reset notifications
☐ Unauthorised access notifications
☐ Relevant files or documents
Do not edit or alter original evidence unnecessarily.
8. Create a Chronological Timeline
A simple timeline can make your complaint much clearer.
| Date | Time | Event | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Date] | [Time] | First contact from offender | Screenshot/Chat |
| [Date] | [Time] | Phone call received | Call log |
| [Date] | [Time] | Link received | Screenshot |
| [Date] | [Time] | Information shared | Chat/Email |
| [Date] | [Time] | Payment made | Transaction record |
| [Date] | [Time] | Fraud discovered | Bank SMS |
| [Date] | [Time] | Bank contacted | Complaint number |
| [Date] | [Time] | 1930 contacted | Reference number |
A timeline can also help you remember the sequence of events accurately when speaking with the bank or investigating authorities.
9. Prepare a Clear Incident Summary
Your complaint should answer five basic questions:
WHO?
Who contacted you or committed the suspected fraud?
WHAT?
What exactly happened?
WHEN?
When did the incident occur?
HOW?
How were you deceived, threatened, hacked, or defrauded?
HOW MUCH?
What financial loss or other harm did you suffer?
You should also explain:
- What evidence you have.
- What action you have already taken.
- Whether you have contacted your bank.
- Whether you have called 1930.
- Whether you have already filed a complaint.
10. Prepare Your Complaint Narrative
You may use the following structure to organise your facts:
I, [Full Name], wish to report that I have been a victim of [type of cybercrime]. On [date] at approximately [time], I was contacted through [WhatsApp/phone/email/website/social media] by [brief description of the person/entity].
The person represented themselves as [description, if relevant] and induced/deceived me into [describe what happened].
As a result, [describe the financial loss, account compromise, threats, blackmail, or other harm].
The total financial loss suffered by me is ₹[amount], if applicable. The relevant transaction details are [details].
I have preserved relevant evidence, including [list the evidence].
I have reported the matter to [bank/1930/other authority], and the relevant reference number is [number].
I request that the matter be investigated and appropriate action be taken in accordance with law.
Keep your statement accurate, concise, and chronological.
11. If You Have Suffered Financial Fraud
Take these steps immediately:
🚨 1. Call 1930
Report the financial cyber fraud as soon as possible.
🏦 2. Contact Your Bank
Inform your bank immediately and request appropriate action regarding the fraudulent transaction.
Ask for:
- A fraud complaint to be registered.
- A transaction dispute to be raised.
- Your account to be secured.
- Compromised cards or banking services to be blocked, if necessary.
- A complaint/reference number.
💻 3. File a Cybercrime Complaint
Submit the relevant information and evidence through the official National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
📂 4. Preserve Your Evidence
Keep all transaction records, communications, screenshots, and complaint acknowledgements.
12. Prepare Your Supporting Documents
Create a dedicated folder for your case.
📁 CYBERCRIME COMPLAINT
→ 📁 01 – Incident Summary
→ 📁 02 – Chronological Timeline
→ 📁 03 – Identity Documents
→ 📁 04 – Bank Transactions
→ 📁 05 – UPI/Payment Records
→ 📁 06 – WhatsApp & Chats
→ 📁 07 – Emails
→ 📁 08 – Screenshots
→ 📁 09 – Call Records
→ 📁 10 – Social Media Evidence
→ 📁 11 – Website Evidence
→ 📁 12 – Bank Complaint
→ 📁 13 – Cybercrime Complaint
→ 📁 14 – Police/FIR Documents
Keep a secure backup of your evidence.
13. Keep Track of All Complaints
Maintain a record of every complaint and follow-up.
| Date | Authority/Organisation | Reference No. | Action Taken | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | ||||
| 1930 | ||||
| Cybercrime Portal | ||||
| Police | ||||
| Other |
Save copies of all correspondence and acknowledgements.
14. Review Your Complaint Before Submission
Before submitting, check:
☐ Is the incident clearly explained?
☐ Are the dates and times accurate?
☐ Have all fraudulent transactions been listed?
☐ Are transaction IDs/UTRs correct?
☐ Have you included available details of the suspected offender?
☐ Have you preserved relevant evidence?
☐ Have you mentioned the financial loss, if any?
☐ Have you explained the steps already taken?
☐ Have you retained a copy of your complaint?
☐ Have you saved the acknowledgement/reference number?
⚠️ Avoid These Common Mistakes
❌ Do not delay reporting financial fraud.
❌ Do not delete chats, emails, or transaction records.
❌ Do not edit or manipulate evidence.
❌ Do not factory reset a potentially relevant device unnecessarily.
❌ Do not make additional payments to the fraudster.
❌ Do not pay an unknown “recovery agent” who guarantees the return of your money.
❌ Do not exaggerate or invent facts in your complaint.
❌ Do not make unsupported allegations about the identity of the offender.
🛡️ Your Cyber Complaint Preparation Checklist
Before filing, make sure you have:
☐ Written down what happened.
☐ Created a chronological timeline.
☐ Identified the type of cybercrime.
☐ Recorded the suspected offender’s details.
☐ Preserved chats and communications.
☐ Collected transaction records.
☐ Saved screenshots and URLs.
☐ Contacted your bank, where relevant.
☐ Called 1930, where relevant.
☐ Organised supporting documents.
☐ Saved all complaint/reference numbers.
🚨 REMEMBER
REPORT FIRST. PRESERVE EVIDENCE. FOLLOW UP.
You do not need to have a perfect complaint or complete evidence collection before reporting a cybercrime.
If money has been fraudulently transferred, act immediately:
📞 Call 1930 → 🏦 Inform Your Bank → 💻 File a Cybercrime Complaint → 📂 Preserve Evidence → 📝 Keep Records → 🔎 Follow Up
If your case involves significant financial loss, threats, sextortion, identity theft, a police notice, or complex legal issues, consider seeking advice from a qualified legal professional.
Disclaimer: This guide is intended for general awareness and informational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Procedures and requirements may vary depending on the nature of the incident and the authorities involved.