How to report a trading or investment fraud in India
Fake trading apps, Telegram "signal" groups, account managers and recovery agents take money from Indians every day. The first hour after you notice matters more than anything that follows. This is the order to do things in.
Call 1930, the national cyber crime helpline, or file at cybercrime.gov.in as soon as you notice — the faster the report, the better the chance the money is put on hold before it moves on. Then tell your bank or UPI app, keep every reference number, and report the platform on RBI's Sachet portal.
The first hour: four steps, in this order
- Call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in. Both belong to the National Cyber Crime Reporting system run by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The helpline works 24 hours a day. A report here can trigger a hold on the money in the accounts it passed through — which only works while it is still there.
- Call your bank or open your UPI app. Report the transaction as fraud, block the card or UPI PIN if it was exposed, and write down the complaint reference.
- Stop paying. No "tax", "unlock fee" or "top-up" releases money from a scam. Every further payment is lost too.
- Save the evidence before chats disappear — the list is below.
Official / news source.
Where to report what
| Where | Use it for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 / cybercrime.gov.in | Any online financial fraud — fake apps, signal groups, recovery agents, UPI fraud | First call, fastest route to a hold on the money |
| Your bank / UPI app | The transaction itself | If the bank does not resolve it, the RBI Integrated Ombudsman handles complaints against banks — see RBI complaints |
| Local cyber police station | A formal complaint or FIR | Take your 1930 / portal acknowledgement number with you |
| RBI Sachet | Reporting an unauthorised entity — an unregistered forex or deposit scheme | Also lists which regulator registers which entity |
| SEBI SCORES | Complaints against SEBI-regulated entities only — registered brokers, advisers, listed companies | Does not cover offshore apps like Quotex, which SEBI does not regulate |
| SEBI Market Intelligence | Tipping SEBI off about securities-law violations, e.g. unregistered "advisers" selling tips | Information for SEBI, not a refund route |
What to keep
- Transaction references: the UTR for each UPI payment, bank reference numbers, crypto transaction hashes (TXID) and wallet addresses.
- Screenshots of the app or website, your balance, and every payment screen.
- The address of the website or app, and where you found it — an ad, a link in a group, a video description.
- Chats: Telegram, WhatsApp and Instagram conversations, usernames and phone numbers. Export them; do not delete them, even out of embarrassment.
- A short timeline: dates, amounts, who said what.
Official / news source.
If the "fraud" is an offshore platform that will not pay
Be precise about what happened, because it decides where you can go. A fake app, a clone website or a person who took your money and vanished is a fraud: report it on 1930. A real offshore broker that refuses a withdrawal is a dispute with a company outside India that no Indian regulator supervises. You can still report it on the cyber crime portal and on Sachet, but there is no SEBI or RBI process that will order an offshore platform to pay you. That is what being on the RBI Alert List means in practice. For Quotex-specific problems, start with our withdrawal and blocked-account checklist.
The second wave: recovery scams
Once you have lost money, you become a target again. Expect messages from "recovery agents", "cyber lawyers" or even people claiming to be from the police or I4C, who can get your money back for an advance fee. Government agencies do not charge you to process a complaint, and no legitimate firm needs your OTP, password or a screen-share. Report these contacts on 1930 as well.
Report a fraud — frequently asked
What is 1930?
1930 is India's national cyber crime helpline for reporting online financial fraud. It works 24 hours a day and is linked to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in, run by I4C under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
How quickly should I report a financial fraud?
Immediately. A report on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in can lead to the money being put on hold in the accounts it passed through, and that only works while the money is still there. Every hour of delay lowers the chance.
Can I get my money back after an online trading fraud?
Sometimes, when it is reported fast enough for the money to be put on hold. Held money is released through the process I4C describes, usually involving the police and the bank. There is no guarantee, and anyone promising one for a fee is running a second scam.
Can I complain to SEBI about Quotex or another offshore app?
Not through SCORES, which covers only SEBI-regulated entities. Quotex and similar offshore apps are not regulated by SEBI. Report fraud on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, and report unauthorised entities on RBI Sachet.
A recovery agent says he can get my money back. Is it real?
No. Advance-fee recovery offers are a known follow-up scam aimed at people who have already lost money. Do not pay, and report the contact on 1930.
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