Matters we handle
- Online banking, card and UPI fraud
- Hacked email, social media and messaging accounts
- Online harassment, stalking and extortion
- Fake profiles and impersonation
- Online defamation
- Misuse of personal data
- Defence in cases under the IT Act
Where these matters are heard
- Cyber Crime Police Stations of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates
- Telangana Cyber Security Bureau
- Adjudicating Officer under the IT Act, for compensation claims
- Criminal courts and the Telangana High Court
The law that applies
The Information Technology Act, 2000 covers unauthorised access and compensation (sections 43 and 43A), computer-related offences (section 66), identity theft (section 66C), cheating by personation using a computer resource (section 66D), privacy violations (section 66E) and publishing obscene material (section 67). Offences such as cheating, extortion, stalking and defamation also fall under the BNS.
Bank customers are protected by the Reserve Bank of India's 2017 directions on limited liability for unauthorised electronic transactions, which depend heavily on how quickly the fraud is reported to the bank.
How the process generally works
Report immediately
Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 and file on cybercrime.gov.in; inform your bank.
Preserve evidence
Screenshots, transaction IDs, URLs, phone numbers and messages. Do not delete anything.
Formal complaint
Complaint to the cyber crime police station with the evidence organised.
Follow up
Freezing and recovery of funds, platform takedowns and investigation.
Proceedings
Court proceedings or compensation claims where appropriate.
Documents to keep ready
- Bank statements showing the transactions
- Transaction IDs and UPI references
- Screenshots of chats, profiles and websites
- Acknowledgement of the 1930 or portal complaint
Terms you may hear
- 1930
- The national cyber crime helpline number for reporting financial fraud quickly.
- NCRP
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, at cybercrime.gov.in.
- Lien or freeze on account
- A hold placed by a bank on funds suspected to be proceeds of fraud, so they cannot be withdrawn.
- Digital arrest scam
- A fraud in which callers pose as police or officials and demand money over a video call. It is not a legal procedure.
- Phishing / OTP fraud
- Tricking someone into revealing passwords, card details or OTPs through fake links, calls or messages.
- KYC update scam
- Fake messages asking you to 'update KYC' through a link or app, used to take control of bank accounts.
Questions people ask
I got a call saying I am under 'digital arrest'. Is that real?
No. There is no such thing as a 'digital arrest' in Indian law. Police, CBI, customs or courts do not arrest people over video calls or demand money to close a case. Disconnect, do not transfer any money, and report the call to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
Someone is threatening to post my private photos. What should I do?
Do not pay or negotiate. Preserve the messages and profile details, and report it on cybercrime.gov.in or at a cyber crime police station; complaints involving women and children can also be reported through a dedicated section of the portal. Platforms must remove non-consensual intimate images within 24 hours of a complaint under the IT Rules, 2021.
My WhatsApp or Instagram account has been hacked. What should I do?
Use the platform's official recovery process immediately, change passwords on linked email and accounts, and turn on two-step verification. Warn your contacts not to send money in response to messages from the account. If the account is used for fraud or you cannot recover it, file a cyber crime complaint.
Can I recover money lost to a fake investment or trading app?
Report it at once on 1930 so that the money can be traced and frozen in the receiving accounts. Frozen amounts are usually released to victims only through the police and a court order, which is where legal help is often needed. The faster the report, the better the chance of recovery.
I just lost money to an online fraud. What should I do first?
Call 1930 immediately and register a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in, then call your bank to block the account or card. Reporting quickly gives the best chance that the money can be traced and frozen before it moves further.
Will the bank refund my money?
Under the RBI's 2017 directions, if the fraud was due to a third-party breach and not your negligence, and you report it within three working days, your liability can be zero. Later reporting or sharing of OTPs changes the position.
Someone created a fake profile using my photos. What can I do?
Report it to the platform, which must act on complaints under the IT Rules, 2021, and file a police complaint. Impersonation can be an offence under section 66D of the IT Act and under the BNS.
Can I claim compensation for hacking or data misuse?
Yes. Claims for compensation under the IT Act can be made before the Adjudicating Officer for amounts up to ₹5 crore, and before the civil courts above that.
I have been named as an accused in a cyber case. What now?
Take advice before responding to the police. Many cyber offences are bailable, but some are not, and the evidence is technical, so the strategy should be settled early.
This page gives general information about the law as it stands and is not legal advice. The right course in any matter depends on its facts.
Last updated: September 2026.