An NRI who has been defrauded in India can report online at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for cyber and financial fraud, and file a complaint with the police or Economic Offences Wing for cheating, forgery and criminal breach of trust, through an authorised representative. Reporting within hours allows banks to place a hold on the transferred funds. Criminal action is combined with civil suits and applications for release of frozen money to actually recover the loss.
- Cyber portal
- cybercrime.gov.in
- Helpline in India
- 1930
- Cheating
- BNS s.318 (old IPC s.420)
- First priority
- Freeze the money
Frauds we deal with
- Investment and deposit schemes promising assured returns, unregistered chit funds and plot-booking schemes.
- Property fraud: sale of the same flat to several buyers, sale by impersonation, forged powers of attorney and wills, fabricated mutation. Linked remedies are under property disputes and RERA complaints.
- Misuse by relatives and agents of signed blank papers, bank mandates and powers of attorney.
- Bank and SIM-swap fraud on dormant NRO or NRE accounts, fixed deposits broken without authority, and KYC-update scams.
- Online scams: impersonation of officials ("digital arrest"), phishing, fake trading apps, matrimonial and job frauds.
- Business fraud by partners, directors and employees, including diversion of company funds.
The first forty-eight hours
For electronic transfers, report immediately on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or, from within India, the 1930 helpline. The system alerts the receiving bank and subsequent banks in the chain to mark a lien on the amount. Inform your own bank in writing at once and dispute the transaction; Reserve Bank rules limit a customer's liability for unauthorised electronic transactions where the customer reports promptly and was not negligent.
Preserve evidence in original form: emails with full headers, chat exports, call logs, transaction references, website addresses and screenshots with dates. Do not confront the fraudster in a way that prompts withdrawal or destruction of records. If property documents are involved, we lodge objections with the Sub-Registrar, revenue office and society the same week so that no further transfer is registered.
Criminal action
Cheating is punishable under section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, criminal breach of trust under section 316, and forgery and use of forged documents under sections 336 to 340; identity theft and cheating by personation using a computer resource fall under sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Larger cases are investigated by the Economic Offences Wing or the cyber cell. Deposit-scheme frauds also attract the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019 and state depositor-protection laws, which provide for attachment of the promoters' assets.
A complaint can be made by your attorney holder, by email to the police chief, or as a "zero FIR" at any police station. If the police do not register a cognisable offence, you may write to the Superintendent of Police and then apply to the Magistrate for a direction to investigate. Punjab's NRI police stations and similar cells in other states accept complaints from abroad directly. We prepare the complaint so that the offence is clearly made out on the documents, which is what gets it registered.
Getting the money back
Prosecution punishes; recovery needs separate steps. Where funds have been frozen, we apply to the Magistrate for release of the amount to you as the person entitled, on a bond. Where assets have been attached under special statutes, claims are filed before the competent authority. A civil suit for recovery with attachment before judgment, cancellation of forged deeds, complaints to the banking ombudsman or consumer commission against a negligent bank, and, for company frauds, proceedings before the company tribunal are used as the facts require. A dishonoured cheque given in settlement opens the section 138 route.
We will be candid about prospects: money sent abroad through mule accounts or converted to crypto-assets is hard to trace, and the realistic target may be the bank's liability or the identifiable individuals who dealt with you.
Reducing your exposure
Keep Indian accounts active with a current overseas mobile number and email registered for alerts. Do not sign blank documents or cheques. Give only special powers of attorney with payment directed to your own account. Verify title independently before paying for property. Treat any call claiming to be from police, customs or a regulator and demanding money or "verification" as fraudulent; no Indian agency arrests or settles cases by video call.
Mistakes that cost NRIs time and money
- Reporting days later, after the money has moved on.
- Deleting chats or emails out of embarrassment.
- Paying a "recovery agent".
- Confronting the fraudster and prompting destruction of evidence.
A typical situation
Frozen within a day
An account holder abroad notices a large unauthorised transfer from her NRO account after a "KYC update" call. She files on the cyber crime portal within two hours and writes to her bank. The receiving bank marks a lien on most of the money before it can be withdrawn. An application to the Magistrate secures its release to her, and the balance is claimed from her bank under the rules on unauthorised transactions.
Illustration only, based on patterns we commonly see. It is not a real client's case and outcomes depend on the facts.
If you live in...
The Indian law is the same wherever you live. These are the points that differ by where you are.
USA and Canada
Report to your local police as well; the report helps with your own bank and tax treatment of the loss.
UK and Europe
Action Fraud reports can be cited in the Indian complaint.
UAE and the Gulf
Investment schemes marketed through community networks are common; check registration before investing.
Country pages: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain
Australia, New Zealand and Asia
Keep overseas mobile roaming active for Indian bank alerts.
Country pages: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia
Detailed country pages for this service: Fraud and Cybercrime Recovery India: Saudi Arabia
Documents you will need
Evidence in original electronic form is best. Collect:
- Bank statements showing the transfers
- Transaction reference numbers and beneficiary details
- Emails, chats and call logs with the fraudster
- Agreements, receipts and brochures
- Copies of forged or disputed documents
- Complaint acknowledgement from the cyber portal
- Your passport and account KYC details
- Names and addresses of persons involved
How we handle it for you
Immediate containment
Portal report, written notice to banks and objections to registries are filed at once.
Evidence file
We organise the material into a clear narrative with documents for the investigator.
Complaint and FIR
The complaint is lodged with the appropriate wing and followed until registered.
Freezing and release
Applications are made for attachment and for release of frozen funds to you.
Civil recovery
Suits, ombudsman or consumer complaints are pursued for the balance.
Frequently asked questions
Can an NRI file a cybercrime complaint in India from abroad?
Yes. Complaints can be filed online on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal from anywhere, and a representative in India can follow up with the police on your authority.
Can money lost in an online fraud in India be recovered?
If reported quickly, banks can freeze the amount in the beneficiary account and a court can order its release to you. The chance of recovery falls sharply with each day's delay.
The police are not registering my complaint. What can I do?
Send the complaint in writing to the Superintendent or Commissioner of Police. If there is still no action, apply to the Magistrate for a direction to register an FIR and investigate.
Is the bank liable for unauthorised transactions from my NRI account?
Under Reserve Bank directions a customer who reports an unauthorised electronic transaction promptly, and who did not share credentials negligently, has limited or zero liability. The bank must show the customer was at fault.
My relative sold my property using a forged power of attorney. Is that a criminal offence?
Yes. It involves forgery, use of a forged document and cheating. A criminal complaint can be filed along with a civil suit to cancel the sale deed and recover possession.
Should I pay someone who promises to recover my lost money for a fee?
Be cautious. "Recovery agents" who contact fraud victims are frequently a second fraud. Recovery happens through banks, police and courts, not through private intermediaries.
Is there a time limit to report fraud to the bank?
Liability protection is strongest when unauthorised transactions are reported within three working days.
Can a cyber complaint be withdrawn after settlement?
Some offences can be compounded; others continue at the state's instance, though a settlement is relevant to quashing.
