Don’t panic. Don’t pay more. Act immediately.

If you have lost money to a cyber scam, speed matters. Your first priority is to try to stop further transactions and report the fraud.

🚨 STEP 1 — CALL 1930

For financial cyber fraud in India, call the National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930, available 24×7. The official National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal specifically directs victims of financial cyber fraud to report immediately through 1930. (Cyber Crime Portal)

Do this even if you are unsure whether the transaction can be recovered.

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🏦 STEP 2 — CONTACT YOUR BANK IMMEDIATELY

Tell your bank:

“I am reporting an unauthorised/fraudulent transaction. Please register my complaint immediately and take appropriate steps to prevent further loss.”

Ask for:

• Complaint/reference number
• Transaction dispute details
• Confirmation that the fraud has been reported
• Appropriate blocking/security measures, where applicable

RBI directions require banks to provide channels for reporting unauthorised electronic transactions and to take immediate steps to prevent further unauthorised transactions after receiving a report. (Reserve Bank of India)

Do not wait for the 1930 process before contacting your bank. Do both.

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🌐 STEP 3 — FILE A CYBERCRIME COMPLAINT

Use the official:

National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

The portal has a specific Financial Fraud reporting option. (Cyber Crime Portal)

Keep your:

• Bank/wallet/merchant details
• Transaction ID/UTR
• Transaction date and time
• Fraud amount
• Screenshots
• Phone numbers
• UPI IDs
• Email addresses
• Website/social-media URLs
• Relevant chats and other evidence

ready for the complaint. (Cyber Crime Portal)

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📁 STEP 4 — PRESERVE THE EVIDENCE

Don’t delete the conversation with the scammer.

Preserve:

☐ WhatsApp/Telegram chats
☐ SMS messages
☐ Emails
☐ Phone numbers
☐ Call logs
☐ Screenshots
☐ UPI IDs
☐ Transaction IDs/UTRs
☐ Bank statements
☐ Payment receipts
☐ Website URLs
☐ Social-media profiles
☐ Advertisements or documents sent by the scammer

Keep the original evidence and make separate copies for sharing.

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🔐 STEP 5 — SECURE YOUR ACCOUNTS

If you disclosed credentials or gave someone access to your device:

• Change compromised passwords.
• Enable 2FA.
• Contact your bank/card issuer.
• Block or replace compromised cards where necessary.
• Review recent account activity.
• Remove unauthorised devices/sessions.
• Uninstall suspicious applications where appropriate.
• If remote access was granted, take immediate steps to secure the device and accounts.

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❌ STEP 6 — DON’T SEND MORE MONEY

This is extremely important.

Scammers may say:

“Pay the final processing fee.”

“Pay tax to recover your money.”

“Send money to unlock the refund.”

“We need a security deposit.”

Don’t pay.

You may already have been targeted once—and scammers or other criminals may target you again with a fake recovery service.

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💰 CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK?

Possibly—but there is no guarantee.

Recovery depends on factors including the nature of the transaction, how quickly it was reported, where the money has moved, and the applicable banking/payment rules.

For unauthorised electronic banking transactions, RBI’s customer-protection framework provides different liability rules depending on the circumstances and how quickly the customer reports the transaction. (Reserve Bank of India)

So don’t assume that losing money means recovery is impossible—and don’t assume that recovery is guaranteed. Report immediately.

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🧭 SCAMSHIELD INDIA — YOUR FIRST 60 MINUTES

0–10 MINUTES

📞 Call 1930

0–20 MINUTES

🏦 Contact your bank/payment provider

20–40 MINUTES

📁 Preserve your evidence

40–60 MINUTES

🌐 File/complete your cybercrime complaint

AFTER THAT

🔐 Secure accounts → Track complaints → Preserve correspondence → Seek appropriate professional assistance if necessary.

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🚨 ONE THING TO REMEMBER

The scammer wants you to panic. Your job is to act.

STOP. REPORT. PRESERVE. PROTECT.

If you have just lost money, don’t wait until tomorrow.