How to File a Complaint on cybercrime.gov.in (Step by Step)
Money gone: call 1930 first. Then this 15-minute form on the government portal creates the record that the bank and the police will ask for.
Which optionWhich Complaint Option Should You Choose?
Money lost? Call 1930 first
For UPI, card, net-banking or wallet fraud, call 1930 at once so the money can be put on hold. Then file on the portal and quote the 1930 number.
Women / child related crime
Morphed photos, sextortion, child sexual material, online stalking. This section lets you report without giving your name.
Other cyber crime
Hacked accounts, fake profiles, job or investment scams, ransomware, online threats. Use 'Report Cyber Crime' with a mobile-OTP login.
Step by stepHow to File a Complaint on cybercrime.gov.in: 6 Steps
- 1
🌐 Open cybercrime.gov.in and click 'File a Complaint'
Check the address carefully: only cybercrime.gov.in. Accept the terms. Choose 'Report Women/Child Related Crime' or 'Report Cyber Crime'. The site works in Hindi too.
- 2
📱 Log in with your mobile number (OTP)
Pick your State, enter your name and mobile number and the OTP. Use a number you will keep; updates come to it.
- 3
🗂️ Fill the incident details
Category (for example 'Online Financial Fraud'), sub-category, date and time, and a clear description in your own words: what happened, in order. For money fraud add the bank, transaction ID / UTR, amount and date of every payment.
- 4
🕵️ Add suspect details and evidence
Phone numbers, UPI IDs, bank accounts, websites, social media handles of the fraudster. Upload screenshots, the bank SMS and the statement (the portal limits file size, so crop the images).
- 5
✅ Preview, submit, save the acknowledgement
You get an acknowledgement number by SMS and email. Download the PDF. Use 'Track your complaint' to see which police station it went to.
- 6
🚓 Follow up and get the FIR
The complaint goes to the cyber cell of your district. Visit with the acknowledgement and originals. Information given electronically becomes an FIR once you sign it within 3 days (Section 173(1) BNSS). For losses above ₹10 lakh, e-Zero FIR applies in States that run it. See our FIR guide.
ChecklistEvidence Checklist Before You File
The lawSection 173 BNSS: Electronic Complaint Becomes FIR
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Section 173(1). Every information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, irrespective of the area where the offence is committed, may be given orally or by electronic communication to an officer in charge of a police station, and if given— (i) orally, it shall be reduced to writing by him or under his direction, and be read over to the informant; and every such information, whether given in writing or reduced to writing as aforesaid, shall be signed by the person giving it; (ii) by electronic communication, it shall be taken on record by him on being signed within three days by the person giving it, …
The new criminal procedure law accepts a complaint sent electronically, from anywhere in India. The portal complaint is your first information; once you sign it within three days at the police station, it is an FIR on record.
🏠 Everyday analogy
Like booking a train ticket online and then showing ID at the coach: the booking is done at home, the check happens in person.
🇮🇳 Real Indian example
Suppose Ravi loses ₹38,000 to a fake courier link at 9 pm. He calls 1930 at 9:20, files on the portal at 10 and signs at the cyber police station two days later. Because he was fast, much of the money can still be on hold in the first mule account.
ConstitutionCyber Complaints and the Constitution
Article 21: Life, liberty and privacy
Privacy is a fundamental right (Puttaswamy, 2017). Identity theft, morphing and sextortion attack it, and the State must give you a working remedy.
Article 14: Equal protection of law
A police station cannot refuse your complaint because the fraud happened online or in another State; Zero FIR exists for that.
Practice MCQTest Yourself: Cyber Complaint
Under Section 173(1) of the BNSS, 2023, information about a cognizable offence given by electronic communication is taken on record when the informant signs it within:
Doubts ClearedFrequently Asked Questions
Is a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in the same as an FIR?
Not by itself. It goes to the police, who examine it. It becomes an FIR when registered, after you sign within 3 days under Section 173(1) BNSS, or automatically through e-Zero FIR for large losses in States that run it.
Can I report anonymously?
Yes, for women and child related crimes such as child sexual material or sexually explicit content. Other complaints need a mobile-OTP login.
How do I track my cyber complaint?
Log in on cybercrime.gov.in and use 'Track your complaint' with the acknowledgement number.
Should I call 1930 or file on the portal?
Both, in that order, for money fraud. 1930 starts the hold on your money fast; the portal complaint records the full case.
Sources and further readingSources We Checked
Steps checked on 23 October 2026 against the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and Section 173 BNSS. Screens may change; the order of steps stays the same.