Cyber crime complaint in Bengaluru: 1930, the portal and the CEN station

Money has gone out of your account through a UPI request you did not mean to approve. Or a “trading app” has stopped letting you withdraw. Or someone is threatening to post morphed photos. The first thing to do is the same in almost every case: call 1930, then file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.

For financial fraud, speed matters more than anything else. A 1930 call lets the system alert the banks and payment apps the money passed through, so they can try to hold it before it is withdrawn. The longer you wait, the more likely it has already been moved.

After that, the case is usually taken up by a CEN police station (Cyber, Economic and Narcotics) in Bengaluru, where the FIR is registered and investigated. This article covers each of these steps.

Take screenshots of every message, transaction ID and payment before you delete anything or block the number.

Step 1: call 1930 for money fraud

1930 is the national cyber crime helpline for reporting financial fraud. Have these ready when you call:

• your bank name and account number, or card details (never share your PIN, OTP or CVV, not even here)
• the transaction ID or UTR number of each payment
• the date and time of each transaction
• the UPI ID, account number or phone number the money went to
• the website, app or social media profile used

You will get an acknowledgement or reference number. Write it down. It links your call to the complaint on the portal.

In an emergency where someone is in danger, call 112.

The cyber crime cell Bangalore contact number most people need is 1930. We do not list other station numbers here because they change. Use the Police Station Locator on the Karnataka State Police site, ksp.karnataka.gov.in, to find your nearest station.

Step 2: file on cybercrime.gov.in

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, is run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It has separate options for:

• crimes against women and children, including sexual content and child abuse material, which can also be reported anonymously
• all other cyber crimes, including financial fraud, hacking, impersonation and fake profiles

You register with your mobile number, fill in what happened, add the money trail, and upload evidence. Keep the files small and clear: screenshots of chats, payment confirmation screens, bank SMS, the fake website URL.

At the end, you get an acknowledgement number. This is what you use to check cyber crime complaint status later.

Step 3: what happens to the complaint

The complaint goes to the police in your area. In Bengaluru city, cyber crime cases are handled by the CEN police stations, which were set up at the division level under the Deputy Commissioners of Police. Not every portal complaint becomes an FIR straight away. Often the first action is on the money trail, with requests to banks to hold funds. If the facts disclose a cognizable offence, you are entitled to ask for an FIR.

The usual offences are cheating under Section 318 BNS (old Section 420 IPC), and Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act (identity theft and cheating by personation using a computer resource). Threats, sextortion and morphed images bring in other sections.

You may be asked to come to the CEN station to give a statement and produce documents. Carry:

• a printed copy of the portal acknowledgement
• bank statements showing the transactions, with the relevant entries marked
• screenshots on paper and the original phone, so the officer can see the messages
• your ID proof

If you are told the station will not take it up, our guide on what to do when police refuse to register an FIR explains the next steps under Section 173 BNSS.

Step 4: check cyber crime complaint status

On cybercrime.gov.in, use the option to track your complaint with the acknowledgement number. The status shows whether it has been sent to a police station and whether action has been taken. It does not always update quickly. If nothing moves for a couple of weeks, go to the CEN station with the acknowledgement and ask for the officer handling it.

If an FIR has been registered, you can also search it on the Karnataka State Police FIR search, linked from ksp.karnataka.gov.in.

Getting the money back

If the bank or payment app was able to hold the money, it sits frozen in the receiving account. It is not returned automatically. Usually the police have to confirm the claim and the release is made through a court order or by the bank following the police request. This can take months.

There is also the other side: many people in Bengaluru find their own account frozen because fraud money passed through it. If that has happened to you, read bank account frozen by cyber crime police. For recovering money lost through UPI, see online and UPI fraud recovery.

When to bring in a lawyer

A lot of the first steps you can do yourself. An advocate helps when:

• the amount is large and the police are slow to register the FIR
• money is frozen and you need an application before the magistrate for its release
• your own account has been frozen and you are named as a suspect
• the case involves threats, blackmail or intimate images, where you need the content taken down and the person stopped quickly

See our page on cyber crime and online fraud for the work we do.

Questions people ask

What is the cyber crime helpline number in Bangalore?

1930 is the national helpline for reporting financial cyber fraud. For an emergency, call 112. You can then file the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.

How do I check my cyber crime complaint status?

Go to cybercrime.gov.in and use the track complaint option with your acknowledgement number. If an FIR has been registered, you can also follow it up at the CEN police station.

Can I file a cyber crime complaint at any police station?

You can give information about a cognizable offence at any police station, which may register a zero FIR and transfer it. In practice, the CEN stations handle cyber crime cases in Bengaluru city.

Will I get my money back after a cyber fraud?

Only if the money was traced and held before it was withdrawn. That is why calling 1930 quickly matters. The release then usually needs police confirmation or a court order.

Is there a time limit to report cyber fraud?

There is no short legal deadline to complain, but the chance of holding the money falls quickly. Report the same day if you can.

This article is general information about the law as it stood when it was written. Your facts change the answer. Speak to an advocate before you act on it.