Skip to content
MoneyLingo
Sign in

Free reference · No account needed

Been scammed, or think you are about to be?

Every official channel in India, in one place. If money has just left your account, start with the first box — the first hour matters more than anything else you do.

Do this first

Money just left your account

Call 1930 immediately, then file at cybercrime.gov.in. Reporting within the first hour gives the best chance of the transfer being frozen before it is withdrawn. Also call your bank and ask them to block the account and raise a dispute.

Call 1930
Do this first

Someone is threatening or blackmailing you over a loan app

This is a crime being committed against you, not a debt you must pay to make stop. Report at cybercrime.gov.in and to your local police. Do not pay to have images deleted — it does not stop. If you are in distress, Tele-MANAS on 14416 is a free, 24-hour government mental health helpline.

Tele-MANAS 14416

Who to complain to about what

India has a different regulator for each part of the financial system, which is why people so often complain to the wrong one and get nowhere.

  • Cybercrime — any online fraud

    UPI fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, fake investment apps, job scams, sextortion.

    Helpline 1930 (24×7) or cybercrime.gov.in — cybercrime.gov.in

  • SEBI — securities and mutual funds

    A broker, mutual fund, listed company or registered adviser. Also unregistered "tip" providers.

    SCORES portal — scores.sebi.gov.in

  • RBI — banks, NBFCs and payments

    Your bank, a card issuer, an NBFC or a digital lender — after you have complained to them first and waited 30 days.

    Complaint Management System — cms.rbi.org.in

  • IRDAI — insurance

    A rejected claim, mis-selling, or an agent who sold you something they said was a deposit.

    Bima Bharosa portal — bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in

  • National Consumer Helpline

    Any consumer dispute, including financial services, when you are not sure where else to go.

    Helpline 1915 or the NCH portal — consumerhelpline.gov.in

  • Income Tax Department

    A mismatch in your AIS or Form 26AS, or someone using your PAN.

    e-filing portal grievance section — www.incometax.gov.in

  • EPFO — provident fund

    An employer not depositing your PF, or a stuck withdrawal or transfer.

    EPFiGMS — epfigms.gov.in

Before you complain, do these three things

  1. Write down the timeline. Dates, amounts, transaction reference numbers, phone numbers and app names. Do it now, while you remember.
  2. Screenshot everything before deleting any app or blocking any number. Messages, payment screens, call logs, the profile that contacted you.
  3. Complain to the company first, in writing, and keep the reference number. Regulators expect this step before they take a case — the wait is 30 days for the RBI Ombudsman, and shorter on the SEBI and insurance routes.

If you are struggling to cope

Debt and scam losses are one of the most common causes of severe distress in India, and loan-app harassment has driven people to take their own lives. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to someone now. Tele-MANAS on 14416 is free, government-run and available 24 hours a day in multiple Indian languages. This is not a lesser emergency than the money, and nothing about a debt is worth your life.

We check every channel on this page each quarter. If a number or a portal has changed, please tell us — a helpline that no longer works is worse than no page at all.