The scams people report most, and how to avoid each one
1. Fake share trading and investment groups and apps
This is where Indians lose the most money. When the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) released figures for January to April 2024, its chief executive said Indians had lost Rs 1,420 crore to trading scams in those four months, against Rs 223 crore to other investment scams and Rs 120 crore to digital arrests. The pattern has held since. The director of the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau said in September 2026 that nearly 60% of the money cyber fraud victims lose in the state goes to stock market and investment frauds. Bengaluru police recorded 2,648 trading-platform fraud cases in 2025, up from 183 in 2022, and Delhi Police named investment scams as the most common high-value fraud of 2025. SEBI has asked social media platforms and search engines to stop unregistered advertisers and to label genuine trading apps, and it tells investors to check registration before paying.[6][10][12][11][8][9][7][25]
Reported in: Nationwide, through WhatsApp and Telegram groups, social media ads and fake trading apps
How it works
An ad, a "stock tips" group or a new online friend offers expert trading advice or access to special deals such as discounted IPO shares. You are asked to install an app or open a website that shows your money growing fast. Small withdrawals may work at first. Then you are pushed to invest much more, and when you try to take the money out you are told to pay "tax" or a "fee" first. Delhi Police say the people running these groups often pose as women on social media and operate from scam compounds in South-East Asia.
Red flags
- Guaranteed or very high returns, or "insider" tips
- A WhatsApp or Telegram "VIP" trading group you were added to
- An app or website that is not from a SEBI-registered broker
- Payment to a personal bank account or a UPI ID that is not an @valid handle
- A fee or tax demanded before you can withdraw your own profits
How to protect yourself
- Check that the broker or adviser is registered on the SEBI website before you invest
- Pay brokers and mutual funds only through their @valid UPI handle, which shows a thumbs-up in a green triangle, and confirm bank details with SEBI Check
- Use only the trading app of a registered broker, downloaded from the official app store
- Leave any group that promises fixed returns
If it happened to you
- Stop paying, including any "withdrawal fee"
- Call 1930 at once and give the transaction IDs so the money can be put on hold
- Keep screenshots of the group, app and payments
Where to report: The cyber crime helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, and your bank. Check any broker or adviser on the SEBI website and with SEBI Check.
2. "Digital arrest": fake police, CBI, customs or TRAI officials on a video call
In a "digital arrest", callers posing as police, the CBI, narcotics officers, the RBI, customs, the Enforcement Directorate or even judges tell you that you, or a relative, are linked to a crime, and keep you on a video call until you pay. The Home Ministry warned about it in May 2024, saying the callers use studios made to look like police stations and wear uniforms. Complaints on the national reporting portal reached 1,23,672 in 2024, according to the I4C status report cited by the Supreme Court in August 2026; they fell to 58,249 in 2025 and 16,377 in the first half of 2026 after awareness campaigns and the blocking of 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts. The scam has not gone away: in 2025 Delhi Police recovered over Rs 2 crore for a 92-year-old man who had been told by fake telecom regulator and police officials that FIRs were registered against him. TRAI says it never calls anyone about disconnecting their number.[13][14][15][16][7][17][18][12][11]
Reported in: Nationwide, by phone, WhatsApp and Skype video calls; older people are often targeted
How it works
A call says a parcel in your name contains drugs or fake passports, that your phone number or bank account was used in a crime, or that your SIM will be cut off. The call is passed to a "senior officer" on video who shows an ID card or a warrant, tells you not to speak to anyone and to stay on camera, and demands a "security deposit", "fine" or "verification" transfer to clear your name.
Red flags
- Any official who wants to question or "arrest" you on a video call
- Being told to keep the call secret, even from your family
- A demand to move money to a "safe" or "verification" account
- A threat that your mobile number will be disconnected for illegal activity
How to protect yourself
- Remember the I4C advisory: the CBI, police, customs, ED and judges do not arrest anyone on a video call
- Hang up, then call your local police station on a number you look up yourself
- Tell a family member at once; scammers rely on you being alone and scared
- Government agencies do not use WhatsApp or Skype for official communication, says CERT-In
If it happened to you
- Call 1930 immediately and your bank to block further transfers
- Keep the numbers, screenshots and any "documents" you were sent
- Report numbers used on WhatsApp or calls on Chakshu as well
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
3. UPI tricks: "enter your PIN to receive money", QR codes and money "sent by mistake"
UPI fraud is the most frequent kind of payment fraud by number of incidents. The Finance Ministry told the Lok Sabha in December 2025 that there were 12.64 lakh UPI fraud incidents worth Rs 981 crore in 2024-25, after 13.42 lakh incidents worth Rs 1,087 crore the year before. Bengaluru police recorded 1,197 online money transfer frauds in 2025, almost four times the 2024 figure. The RBI’s BE(A)WARE booklet describes the most common trick: a "buyer" on an online sales platform sends a "request money" message and tells the seller to approve it with the UPI PIN, which sends money out instead of in. CERT-In also warns about callers who claim they paid you by mistake and push you to "return" it.[20][19][7][12]
Reported in: Nationwide, in UPI apps, on online sales platforms and by phone
How it works
Someone buying your old phone or furniture, or a caller offering a refund or cashback, sends you a payment request or a QR code and says you will receive money once you enter your UPI PIN or scan the code. Another version shows you a fake payment screenshot and asks you to send back an "extra" amount.
Red flags
- A request to enter your UPI PIN or scan a QR code to receive money
- A "buyer" who pays before seeing the item and is in a hurry
- A screenshot of a payment instead of money in your account
- Someone claiming they sent you money by mistake
How to protect yourself
- You never need your UPI PIN, or to scan a QR code, to receive money
- Before paying by QR code, check the name of the receiver shown in your app
- Check your bank balance, not a screenshot, before handing over goods
If it happened to you
- Call 1930 and your bank straight away
- Keep the UPI transaction ID and the chat
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
4. Calls posing as your bank or telecom company: KYC updates, OTPs, SIM swaps and screen-sharing apps
Police case numbers show how common this used to be. NCRB data given to the Rajya Sabha in February 2026 show cyber cases recorded as OTP frauds rising from 2,028 in 2021 to 5,116 in 2023. Bengaluru police say these OTP frauds, built on fake KYC updates, harmful app links and phishing messages, have fallen every year since 2022, to 617 cases in 2025, which they credit to public awareness, yet they still happen. The RBI’s BE(A)WARE booklet describes the methods: callers posing as bank, insurance or government staff who already know your name or date of birth, fake customer care numbers placed in search results, screen-sharing apps that let the caller see your OTPs, and duplicate SIM cards obtained in your name.[19][3][12][22][7][21]
Reported in: Nationwide, by phone, SMS and fake customer care numbers found online
How it works
A caller says your KYC has expired, your card or account will be blocked, or a suspicious transaction must be stopped. To "fix" it you are asked for an OTP, card details or your PIN, or to install a support app that shares your screen. In a SIM swap, your phone suddenly loses network while the fraudster receives your OTPs on a duplicate SIM.
Red flags
- Anyone asking for an OTP, PIN, CVV or password, for any reason
- A "KYC update" link sent by SMS or WhatsApp
- A request to install a screen-sharing or remote support app
- A customer care number that is a mobile number
- Your SIM losing network for no clear reason
How to protect yourself
- Banks, the RBI and genuine companies never ask for your OTP, PIN or CVV
- Take customer care numbers only from the bank’s or company’s official website; the RBI notes they are never mobile numbers
- Never install a screen-sharing app on a stranger’s instructions
- Check the mobile connections registered in your name on Sanchar Saathi
- If your SIM stops working suddenly, call your operator and bank at once
If it happened to you
- Tell your bank immediately; under RBI rules you are not liable for a third-party fraud you report within three working days
- Call 1930 and block cards and UPI
- Remove any remote access app and change your banking passwords
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
5. "Part-time job" tasks: paid to like videos or rate hotels, then asked to deposit
In December 2023 the government blocked over 100 websites used for organised investment and task-based part-time job frauds, after the Home Ministry’s cyber threat analytics unit identified them. The ministry said the sites were run by people outside India, reached victims through digital ads and chat apps, and moved the money abroad through mule accounts, card networks and cryptocurrency. The scam keeps growing: Bengaluru police recorded 2,158 cases of part-time job, online task and fake review fraud in 2025, up from 228 in 2022. Mumbai’s 1930 helpline lists online task fraud among the complaints it handles most often.[24][12][25][7]
Reported in: Nationwide, through WhatsApp and Telegram messages and online ads; job seekers, women at home and retired people are common targets
How it works
A message offers easy work from home: liking videos, following accounts or rating hotels and maps. The first tasks pay a small amount, which builds trust. Then you are moved to "prepaid" or "merchant" tasks that require a deposit, with your earnings shown on a website. Each time you try to withdraw, you are told to deposit more to "unlock" the commission.
Red flags
- An unsolicited job offer on WhatsApp or Telegram
- Being paid for simple likes, follows or reviews
- Any deposit needed to continue working or to withdraw earnings
- A Telegram group where "other members" post big profits
How to protect yourself
- Never pay to get or keep a job; CERT-In advises checking job offers and companies before sharing anything
- Leave any chat that asks you to deposit money for "tasks"
- Do not let anyone use your bank account to receive money for them
If it happened to you
- Stop depositing; the "unlock fee" never ends
- Call 1930 with the transaction details
- Report the numbers and Telegram handles on Chakshu
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
6. Fake overseas jobs and visa agents, including Gulf jobs and "IT jobs" that end in scam compounds
For anyone planning to work in the Gulf this is the scam to read first. The Ministry of External Affairs warned in December 2023 of "a huge rise" in job seekers cheated by unregistered agents with fake offers or charges of Rs 2 to 5 lakh, working mostly through Facebook and WhatsApp, with cases reported for some Gulf countries, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Israel, Canada, Myanmar and Laos. The ministry received 1,541 complaints about illegal recruitment in 2025, up from 1,006 in 2023, and had named 3,505 illegal agents on the eMigrate portal by April 2026. Some fake "IT" or "customer support" jobs lead to scam centres where people are forced to defraud others: the government told Parliament in February 2026 that 6,998 Indians were rescued from such centres in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar between 2022 and 2025. In October 2026 the Indian missions in the UAE also warned about visa and migration agencies that take fees for jobs or residency in other countries and do not deliver.[26][27][28][29][30][31][33][34]
Reported in: Nationwide, with raids reported in Kerala; through Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and agents in India and abroad
How it works
An agent offers a well-paid job abroad, often through a social media post with an offer letter. You pay fees for the visa, medical test and ticket, sometimes far above the legal limit, and may be told to travel on a tourist or visit visa and "convert" it later. The job does not exist, the visa is fake, or you arrive to find different work, or none. In the worst cases your passport is taken and you are forced to work in a scam centre.
Red flags
- An agent whose licence number you cannot find on eMigrate
- More than Rs 30,000 plus GST in service charges, or no receipt
- Being told to travel on a tourist or visit visa to work
- No employment contract signed by the employer, the agent and you
- A well-paid "IT", "data entry" or "customer support" job in South-East Asia with little detail
How to protect yourself
- Use only recruiting agents registered with the Ministry of External Affairs and check the licence on eMigrate
- Pay no more than Rs 30,000 plus GST in service charges and always get a receipt, as the Emigration Act 1983 requires
- Travel for work only on an employment or work visa
- Never pay a visa agency that promises approval; the UAE missions point out that only the issuing government decides
If it happened to you
- Complain to the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (1800 11 3090, toll-free within India) or on eMigrate
- If you are already abroad, contact the Indian embassy or file on MADAD (madad.gov.in)
- Keep the advert, offer letter, receipts and chats
Where to report: Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra: 1800 11 3090 toll-free within India, +91 11 2688 5021 from abroad, WhatsApp +91 74283 21144, helpline@mea.gov.in; the Protector General of Emigrants at pge@mea.gov.in; or a complaint on eMigrate. Abroad: the Indian embassy or consulate and MADAD.
7. Courier and customs calls: "your parcel has been seized"
In June 2024 the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) started a campaign through newspapers, SMS, email and social media after people across the country were cheated by fraudsters posing as Indian Customs officers, mostly by phone call or SMS and through fear of immediate penalties. The Home Ministry and CERT-In describe the same opening: a parcel in your name has been seized with drugs, fake passports or other illegal items. Bengaluru police data show how fast this script spread and then faded: courier-company scam cases rose from none in 2022 to 1,447 in 2024, then fell to two in the first half of 2026 as awareness grew. Many of these calls turn into a digital arrest.[36][14][12][7]
Reported in: Nationwide, by phone, SMS and email
How it works
A recorded message or a "courier employee" says a parcel sent by you, or addressed to you, has been held by customs. Either you must pay duty or a fee to release it, or the parcel contains contraband and the call is transferred to fake police or customs officers who demand money to settle the case.
Red flags
- A call about a parcel you did not send or expect
- Customs duty to be paid into a personal account or by UPI
- The call being "transferred" to police or customs
- Threats of immediate arrest or penalty
How to protect yourself
- Disconnect and do not answer messages if you suspect fraud, as CBIC advises
- Track parcels only on the courier’s own website or app, using a tracking number you already have
- Do not share Aadhaar, card details or passwords with callers
If it happened to you
- Call 1930 and your bank
- Report the numbers on Chakshu
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
8. Fake links and app files (.apk) that take over your phone
Many of the frauds above start with a link or an app. The RBI’s BE(A)WARE booklet describes lookalike bank and shopping websites sent by SMS, email and messaging apps, and app links disguised as genuine apps that, once installed, give the fraudster full access to the phone, including the OTPs it receives. Delhi Police advise people not to download unidentified .apk files, and Bengaluru police list harmful APK links among the causes of OTP fraud. The Home Ministry’s caller-tune campaign, played by telecom operators since December 2024, has included a version on malware.[19][7][11][12][23][4]
Reported in: Nationwide, through SMS, WhatsApp, email and social media
How it works
A message with an urgent reason to click arrives: a bank reward, an electricity bill, a traffic fine, a wedding invitation or a job letter. The link opens a lookalike website that asks for your login and OTP, or downloads an app file that you are told to install. The app then reads your messages and passes your codes to the fraudster.
Red flags
- A link or file in a message you did not expect, even from a known contact
- An app shared as a file instead of through the official app store
- A website address with small spelling changes
- An app that asks for permission to read your SMS
How to protect yourself
- Download apps only from the official app store, never from a link or file sent to you
- Type your bank’s address yourself instead of clicking links
- Check what permissions an app asks for and refuse access to SMS unless it is essential
- Report suspicious links on Chakshu within 30 days so they can be acted on
If it happened to you
- Disconnect the phone from the internet, call your bank and 1930
- Uninstall the app and change passwords from another device
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
9. Fake and illegal loan apps
The RBI warns about apps that offer instant, short-term loans with "limited period" offers, charge very high interest and seem more interested in your personal details than in your credit record. From July 2025 the RBI has published a list of digital lending apps deployed by the banks and finance companies it regulates, so borrowers can check whether an app really belongs to a regulated lender; the RBI notes the list is built from the lenders’ own submissions. The government told the Lok Sabha in December 2025 that 87 illegal digital lending apps had been blocked under the IT Act. CERT-In adds that fake lenders often ask for an upfront fee and then disappear.[19][37][38][7][4]
Reported in: Nationwide, through app stores, social media ads and SMS
How it works
An app promises a quick loan with almost no checks and asks for access to your contacts and photos. Either you pay a "processing fee" and never get the loan, or you get a small loan with heavy deductions and high interest, followed by aggressive recovery calls and threats to contact everyone in your phone.
Red flags
- A fee to be paid before the loan is processed
- A loan offered without checking any documents
- An app that wants access to your contacts and gallery
- A lender with no physical address
- Pressure to decide within minutes
How to protect yourself
- Check the app against the RBI’s list of digital lending apps before you install it
- Remember that a bank or NBFC will never ask for payment before processing a loan
- Refuse permissions an app does not need, such as contacts and photos
If it happened to you
- Do not pay more to make the threats stop; keep every message
- Report harassment and threats to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in and to the police
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
10. Sextortion, fake romance and deepfake threats
Police across India warn about criminals who start a friendship on social media or dating apps, record an intimate video call, then threaten to send it to the victim’s family and friends unless they pay. The Bhopal Cyber Crime Police issued a special advisory in November 2025 after a rise in cases, and Andaman and Nicobar Police note that victims are both men and women and that organised groups in India and abroad run the scam. NCRB recorded 601 cases of cyber blackmailing or threatening in 2024. Bengaluru police logged a new form, deepfake and "deep nude" images, rising from none in 2022 to 37 cases in 2025. Romance scams also cost money: the I4C put losses to romance and dating scams at Rs 13 crore in January to April 2024.[2][39][40][6][7][12][23]
Reported in: Nationwide, through social media, dating apps and WhatsApp video calls
How it works
A friendly stranger, often with an attractive profile, moves the chat to a video call that turns explicit, records it, and then demands money, threatening to share the video or a doctored image. In romance versions, trust is built over weeks before a crisis or an "investment" needs money.
Red flags
- A video call from an unknown number
- A new contact who quickly turns the chat sexual
- A demand for money with a deadline and a threat to share images
- An online partner you have never met who needs money urgently
How to protect yourself
- Do not answer video calls from unknown numbers or accept requests from strangers
- Do not share intimate photos or videos online
- Keep your social media friends list and photos private
If it happened to you
- Do not pay; keep a record of the threats and demands
- Report to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, which has a special focus on crimes against women and children
- Report the number on Chakshu and block the account
Where to report: Call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 at once, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, and tell your bank. If you only received a suspicious call, message or link and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu (sancharsaathi.gov.in).
City by city
Telangana and Hyderabad
Telangana registers more cyber crime cases than any other state. NCRB counted 27,230 cyber crime cases there in 2024, the highest in India, and the state registered 21,639 of the country’s 49,620 cyber crime FIRs in 2025, about 44%. Losses in 2025 were Rs 1,524 crore, 20% lower than in 2024, from 91,369 complaints, and the amount put on hold in fraudsters’ accounts rose to Rs 279 crore. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau says stock market and investment frauds account for nearly 60% of the money victims lose, run by networks that operate partly from Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.[2][41][10]
- High FIR numbers partly reflect how readily Telangana turns complaints into cases; they do not mean people elsewhere are safer
- The bureau runs a call centre that alerts the local police station as soon as a victim reports
Where to report: 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in; the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau and the local police station.
Karnataka and Bengaluru
NCRB counted 21,993 cyber crime cases in Karnataka in 2024, second only to Telangana. Bengaluru police data for 2022 to June 2026 show 59,951 cyber crimes with losses of Rs 5,059 crore; Rs 1,810 crore was put on hold, Rs 611 crore recovered and Rs 414 crore returned to victims. Trading-platform fraud and part-time task scams are now the biggest categories, digital arrest cases peaked at 936 in 2024 and have since fallen sharply, and OTP frauds have declined every year. Police also warn about the "boss scam", in which a senior executive’s email or profile is faked to ask staff to buy gift cards.[2][12]
Where to report: 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in; Bengaluru city police cyber crime police stations.
Maharashtra and Mumbai
NCRB counted 9,922 cyber crime cases in Maharashtra in 2024. Mumbai Police’s 1930 helpline, running since May 2022, received 2,55,092 calls between 1 January and 19 May 2026 and put money on hold in 30,302 cases, saving Rs 101.39 crore, roughly one case in four. Its most common complaints are share trading and investment fraud, digital arrests, online task fraud, fake job offers, card fraud and OTP scams. Through the Money Restoration Module, Mumbai Police returned Rs 3.97 crore to 6,096 victims in two months in 2026.[2][25][42]
- Police stress the "golden hour": call 1930 quickly and keep bank details, UTR numbers, chats, screenshots and call records
Where to report: 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in; Mumbai Police cyber police stations.
Delhi
Delhi Police said residents had lost nearly Rs 1,000 crore to cyber fraud in 2025 by mid-October, after about Rs 1,100 crore in 2024, and that the share of money put on hold had doubled to nearly 20%. The force named investment scams, digital arrests and boss scams as the most common high-value frauds, and its IFSO unit recovered over Rs 2 crore for a 92-year-old man targeted by fake telecom and police officials.[11][18]
- Delhi Police run 24 helplines round the clock for cyber crime complaints
- Police advise: do not join online investment groups, do not install unknown .apk files, and confirm any "boss" request by phone or in person
Where to report: 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in; Delhi Police cyber police stations.
Kerala
Kerala recorded 2,962 cyber crime cases in 2024, according to NCRB. For our readers the main local evidence concerns overseas recruitment. In October 2024 the state set up a task force under Operation Shubhayatra, with NORKA Roots, the Protectors of Emigrants in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam and the police NRI Cell, to follow up complaints against agents who take money for fake jobs abroad. In May 2025 the Protector of Emigrants, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kerala Police raided unlicensed agencies in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam and found fake offer letters and forged agreements with foreign agencies. In March 2025 Malayalis who had been forced to work in scam centres in the Golden Triangle were brought home through NORKA Roots. We did not find official Kerala-wide figures for other scam types.[2][29][32][31]
Where to report: Complaints about illegal recruitment, visa fraud or trafficking abroad: Operation Shubhayatra (NORKA Roots with Kerala Police and the Protector of Emigrants), or the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra on 1800 11 3090. Online fraud: 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
Where to report a scam in India
Channels named on official Indian government websites and in official statements. In an emergency call 112.
| Situation | Channel | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Money lost to online fraud | Call 1930 at once or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in; quick reports let police and banks put the money on hold | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| An unauthorised transaction on your account or card | Tell your bank immediately; you are not liable for a third-party fraud reported within three working days | Reserve Bank of India |
| A suspicious call, SMS, WhatsApp message or link, with no money lost | Chakshu on sancharsaathi.gov.in, within 30 days | Department of Telecommunications |
| An international call showing an Indian +91 number | Report it on Sanchar Saathi | Department of Telecommunications |
| A call claiming to be TRAI and threatening to cut your number | Treat it as fraud; check with your operator’s official customer care and report on Chakshu | TRAI |
| An investment adviser, broker or trading app | Check registration on the SEBI website; pay only to @valid UPI handles and verify with SEBI Check | SEBI |
| A loan app | Check it against the RBI’s list of digital lending apps of regulated lenders | Reserve Bank of India |
| A recruiting agent or job abroad | Check the licence on eMigrate; complain to the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (1800 11 3090, +91 11 2688 5021 from abroad, helpline@mea.gov.in) or on eMigrate | Ministry of External Affairs |
| A problem while you are working abroad | The Indian embassy or consulate, or MADAD (madad.gov.in); and the police and labour ministry of the country where you work | Ministry of External Affairs |
The Home Ministry’s advice is the same in almost every alert: if money has left your account, call 1930 straight away with the transaction details, because money can only be frozen while it is still in the banking system.
Six habits that stop most of these scams
The RBI, SEBI, CERT-In and the Home Ministry repeat the same rules in almost every warning.
- Never share an OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN or CVV with anyone, including someone who says they are from your bank or the police
- Remember that no police force or agency arrests anyone on a video call
- Never enter your UPI PIN or scan a QR code to receive money
- Invest only through SEBI-registered brokers and pay only @valid UPI handles
- Never pay to get a job, and check any recruiting agent on eMigrate
- Install apps only from the official app store
If you have lost money: the first hour
Stolen money is moved through several mule accounts within minutes, so speed decides how much can be saved. By 30 June 2026 the 1930 system had saved more than Rs 11,158 crore in over 32.80 lakh complaints. The Home Ministry’s procedure for the system now includes a Money Restoration Module to return frozen money to victims and a grievance module that handles disputes over frozen accounts.
- Call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in, with the transaction IDs (UTR numbers), amounts and times
- Call your bank’s official helpline to block cards, UPI and net banking
- Keep screenshots, phone numbers, links, chats and receipts
- Report the numbers and links used on Chakshu
- Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee
If the scam happened while you were working abroad
Many of our readers live in the Gulf. If you were cheated there, whether by an employer, an agent or an online fraud, you can complain to the police and the labour ministry of the country where you work, not only in India; our scam guides for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, linked below, list their channels. The Indian embassy’s community welfare wing can help, and any Indian citizen can log and track a complaint on MADAD, the Ministry of External Affairs portal. If the person who cheated you is in India, or the money went to an Indian account, the Indian channels above also apply.
- Abroad: the host country’s police and labour ministry, plus the Indian embassy or consulate and MADAD
- A problem with an Indian recruiting agent: the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra or eMigrate
- Money sent to an Indian account: 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, and your Indian bank
- Keep your contract, visa or work permit, payslips, receipts and chats
For shops, companies and their staff
Businesses are targeted too. Delhi and Bengaluru police warn about the "boss scam", in which a fraudster uses a senior executive’s photo, or a spoofed or hacked email, to ask finance staff for an urgent transfer or gift cards. The RBI warns sellers on online sales platforms about "buyers" who send a payment request instead of paying.
- Confirm any urgent payment request from a "boss" by phone or in person
- Check that a payment has actually reached your account before handing over goods
- Train staff never to enter a UPI PIN to receive money