Reporting cybercrime in India involves following certain procedures to ensure that the authorities are made aware of the incident and can take appropriate action. Here are the steps you can take to report cybercrime in India:
Collect as much evidence as possible related to the cybercrime. This shall include screenshots, emails, chat logs, bank transaction records, video & audio conversations or any other relevant information mentioned below that can support your complaint.
(1) Incident – (a) Mode of Communication (Internet, Social Media Platform etc.) (b) Date & Time (c) Platform (Internet, Social Media Platform etc.) (d) Upload Evidence (Screenshots of Payments / Bank Statement’s for financial frauds. For Harassment or any others attach related, Screenshots, Picture, Audio, Video etc.)
(2) Suspect Details If Any – (a) Suspect Name (b) Identity (Mobile, Email, Social Media URL’s Etc) (c) Location (Workplace etc.)
(3) Complainant’s Details – (a) Full Name & Supporting Details (Father, Spouse, Guardian etc.) (b) Email ID / Phone Number (c) Address & ID Proof (Aadhar etc.)
* Contact the local police station nearest to your location or the cybercrime division of the respective police Commissionerate. Provide them with a written complaint containing all the relevant details, including the nature of the crime, the date and time of the incident, and the evidence you have collected.
* Attach copies of any relevant documents or evidence to your complaint. It’s ideal that you list the evidences in a sequential manner of the crime that happened to you.
* Do inquire about the progress of your complaint / FIR / Petition and regularly follow up with the investigating officer assigned to your case. Maintain a record of the officer’s name, contact details, and any reference numbers provided to you.
* Ensure that you preserve all relevant evidence related to the cybercrime, including emails, messages, or any other digital content. Do not tamper with the evidence, as it may be required for investigation purposes.
Cybercrime reporting related portals:
We are providing the specific portals for reporting different types of cybercrime in India, blow is a summary of the portals mentioned.
- Cybercrime related frauds – To report cyber frauds such as defamation, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, obscene content, pornography, sextortion, and phishing frauds, you can use the portal https://www.cybercrime.gov.in/ .
- Financial cyber frauds – If you are a victim of financial cyber frauds, including investment scams, cryptocurrency scams, e-commerce frauds, work-from-home scams, and phishing frauds, you can call 1930. The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System will help freeze the scammers’ funds.
- Cybersecurity and cyberterrorism – To report incidents related to cybersecurity and cyberterrorism, you can report the incident to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) through their website at https://cert-in.org.in .
- Lost or stolen phones – To report lost or stolen phones, you can use the Central Equipment Identity Registration (CEIR) portal at https://ceir.sancharsaathi.gov.in/Home/index.jsp. This portal allows you to block and track stolen phones. Alternatively, you can also reach out to the police station immediately for guidance.
- Unauthorised use of mobile phone services – If you suspect that someone is using your credentials for mobile phone services without your consent, you can report it on https://tafcop.sancharsaathi.gov.in/telecomUser/
- One Nation One Ombudsman Scheme is a scheme that allows to raise complaint, When you Accidentally or Unknowingly Transferred Money to Others using UPI. (a) Raise the complain on the respective UPI Service Provider – Paytm, Google Pay, Phone Pay Etc (b) Call Toll Free Number 14448 (c) Long to the portal https://cms.rbi.org.in and raise complaint (d) Alternatively you can also email your complaint to CRPC@rbi.org.in
- UPI Dispute Redressal Mechanism – National Payments Corporation Of India – Raise a complaint on https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/upi/dispute-redressal-mechanism with respect to a UPI transaction
Cyber Safety Tips:
- Create strong passwords that is a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters and numerical.
- Enable Two Factor Authentication (2FA) where ever possible for your online social media and email accounts. You can either use the unique code sent to your mobile device via SMS or a dedicated authenticator application.
- Enable your Wi-Fi router with WPA2 or WPA3 encryption for secure data transmission and never use Public Wi-Fi unless you are sure it’s legitimate.
- Review and adjust the privacy settings on your social media accounts to control the information you share. Limit the visibility of your personal details and posts to known / trusted connections only.
- Download software, apps, and files only from reputable sources. Install applications only from Play Store or App Store.
- Regularly backup your important files and data to an external hard drive, cloud storage, or another secure location.
- Stay informed about Digital Wellbeing and the latest cyber threats, scams, and best security practices.
The Grievance Appellate Committee:
For all social media frauds, report from respective Social Media Portal for a resolution. If you are not happy with solution provided by them you can report on https://gac.gov.in/. GAC committee deals with the appeals of users (Digital Platform Users) aggrieved by decisions of Grievance Officers of social media intermediaries on complaints of users / victims.
