Cyber Crime Victim? Your Rights and Where to Report

Call 1930 immediately — this is the national cyber crime helpline. If reported within the first few hours ("golden hour"), the receiving bank can sometimes freeze the money before it is withdrawn or transferred further. Simultaneously file a written complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with all evidence you have: screenshots of the fraudulent messages/site, transaction IDs, UPI/bank statements showing the debit, any phone numbers used by the scammer. Also inform your own bank in writing to lodge a dispute — under RBI rules, timely reporting can limit or eliminate your liability for unauthorised transactions.

File at cybercrime.gov.in and also at your nearest police station — cyber crime is a "zero FIR" category, meaning any police station must register the FIR regardless of where the offence took place, and transfer it to the appropriate jurisdiction later. Preserve all evidence: screenshots (with visible date/time/URL), account IDs of the impersonator, any messages. The main sections that apply include IT Act Section 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by impersonation), 66E (violation of privacy), and 67 (obscene content); plus BNS Sections 78 (stalking), 79 (word/act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), and 356 (defamation) where applicable.

This is a serious criminal offence. Report immediately at cybercrime.gov.in — the portal has a specific "Report Women/Child Related Crime" section which allows anonymous reporting. Simultaneously request removal from the hosting platform (most major platforms have expedited takedown for non-consensual intimate imagery). Preserve URL evidence WITHOUT sharing or re-uploading. Applicable law includes IT Act Section 66E (violation of privacy) and Section 67A (transmission of sexually explicit material), plus BNS provisions. If the perpetrator is known, you can also seek a civil injunction restraining further sharing.