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If money has been taken from your bank account in India, call 1930 immediately, then report the transaction to your bank through an official channel and complete the online complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Save every acknowledgement and transaction record. These reports can help trigger action, but they do not guarantee that the money will be recovered.
What to do immediately after a banking scam
- Call 1930. India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal identifies 1930 as the helpline for immediate reporting of cyber financial fraud. You can also report online through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
- Complete the online report promptly if you started by phone. The official citizen instructions say a phone complainant receives a system-generated login or acknowledgement ID and must complete the portal complaint within 24 hours. Keep both that ID and the completed complaint reference.
- Notify your bank using a verified channel. Use the bank’s official app, website, card, or statement to find its fraud contact details—not a number supplied by the suspected scammer. Identify each transaction, ask the bank to block compromised cards, credentials, payment access or accounts as appropriate, and request a complaint reference. RBI guidance requires banks to provide reporting channels and take immediate steps to prevent further unauthorised transactions after notification.
- Submit the relevant portal complaint. On the portal, use “Report Other Cybercrimes”; its FAQ says this route includes online financial fraud. Enter accurate details and save the acknowledgement.
- Preserve evidence. Keep bank statements, transfer receipts, transaction IDs, amounts and times, UPI or beneficiary details, messages, caller numbers, relevant screenshots, and the bank and portal acknowledgement numbers. The official instructions list transaction details and available screenshots; the portal’s FAQ identifies bank statements and online transfer receipts as supporting information.
- Use emergency help when needed. For an emergency, call 112 or contact local police. The portal also directs people to local police for crimes beyond its scope. Its complaint guidance explains these routes.
Which route does what?
| Route | Purpose | What to keep or expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in | Report cyber financial fraud for coordinated response and law-enforcement handling. | Keep the acknowledgement or login ID and completed portal complaint reference. Portal reporting; citizen instructions. |
| Bank’s official fraud channel | Notify the bank, seek steps to prevent further unauthorised use, and register the account or payment dispute. | Keep the complaint number and time you notified the bank. Prompt notice matters under RBI rules. RBI customer-protection guidance. |
| Local police or 112 in an emergency | Seek emergency help or contact local law enforcement. | Follow police instructions. State and union territory agencies handle investigation. Portal guidance; Ministry of Home Affairs. |
| RBI Integrated Ombudsman | Escalate an eligible, unresolved regulated-entity service complaint. | First complain to the regulated entity and observe the scheme’s filing window. RBI FAQ. |
What RBI rules say about unauthorised transactions
RBI’s customer-liability directions apply to unauthorised electronic banking transactions; they are not a blanket refund rule for every scam or payment made after a person was tricked into authorising it. Liability depends on the facts, including whether the bank contributed, whether the customer was negligent, and whether a third-party breach occurred elsewhere in the system. If a customer shared credentials, RBI says the customer bears the loss until notifying the bank; transactions after the report are borne by the bank. Read the RBI notification and ask the bank to assess the specific case under the applicable rule.
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Timing for a third-party breach
Where neither the bank nor customer is at fault and the breach is elsewhere in the system, RBI says notification within three working days after receiving the bank’s transaction communication gives the customer zero liability. Notification in four to seven working days limits liability to the transaction value or the applicable table amount, whichever is lower. After seven working days, the bank’s board-approved policy applies. These time bands concern that specific third-party-breach category, not every disputed scam.
Conditional reversal and resolution timelines
For cases that qualify for zero or limited liability, the RBI notification says the bank must provide a shadow reversal within 10 working days of the customer’s notification. The bank must resolve the complaint and establish liability within the period in its board-approved policy, capped at 90 days. These are conditional requirements, not a guaranteed recovery schedule for every scam report.
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“The burden of proving customer liability in case of unauthorised electronic banking transactions shall lie on the bank.” — Reserve Bank of India, Customer Protection notification, 2017.
How to escalate if the complaint is unresolved
Bank service complaint: RBI Integrated Ombudsman
Keep the bank’s complaint reference. If the bank does not reply within 30 days, or its reply is unsatisfactory, an eligible complainant may approach the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. RBI’s scheme FAQ gives an outer filing window of one year after receiving the regulated entity’s response, or one year and 30 days after making the representation if no response arrives. Check the official FAQ for eligibility and current filing instructions. A bank service complaint and a cybercrime report serve different purposes.
Portal complaint: nodal and grievance contacts
If a complaint filed through the portal’s Report and Track option has not received an appropriate response, use the portal’s current state and union territory nodal and grievance officer contact list for the relevant jurisdiction.
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Police investigation
Cybercrime reports are handled by state and union territory law-enforcement agencies. A portal report does not automatically become an FIR, and there is no uniform investigation timeline established for every case. The Ministry of Home Affairs explains the division of responsibility in its cybercrime reporting and investigation statement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What a national recovery figure does—and does not—mean
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and Ministry of Home Affairs reported that more than ₹8,189 crore had been saved across more than 23.61 lakh complaints as of 31 December 2025. The government described the data as dynamic. This national aggregate is not an estimate of an individual complainant’s chance of recovery; it cannot promise a refund in a particular case.
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