How to Report a Crypto Scam in India: Step by Step
Call 1930 at once, then file on cybercrime.gov.in under Financial Fraud. The evidence to collect, who else to alert, and why recovery offers are scams.
To report a crypto scam in India, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 as soon as you realise you have been cheated, then file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in under "Financial Fraud". Also alert the exchange you sent the crypto from and, if you paid in rupees, your bank. Speed matters most: money in the banking system can sometimes be frozen if it is reported within hours.
Key takeaways
- 1930 is the helpline for cyber financial fraud. The first hour after the fraud is often called the "golden hour" for freezing funds.
- File a written complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and note the acknowledgement number. Visit your local police station or cyber cell for an FIR if needed.
- Collect transaction hashes, wallet addresses, UPI or bank references, screenshots and chat logs before the scammer deletes them.
- Crypto sent on-chain usually cannot be reversed, but exchanges can freeze accounts that receive stolen funds.
- Anyone who contacts you offering to "recover" your crypto for a fee is almost always a second scam.
Step-by-step: what to do in the first 24 hours
- Stop paying. Scammers often ask for a "tax", "withdrawal fee" or "unlock charge" before you can take out your fake profits. Do not pay anything more.
- Call 1930. Give the operator your details, the amount, the date and time, and any bank, UPI or wallet details you paid to. This helpline is designed to alert banks and payment firms quickly.
- File on cybercrime.gov.in. Choose Register a Complaint, then Financial Fraud. Fill in the incident details and upload evidence. Save the acknowledgement number; you will need it to follow up with Track your Complaint.
- Tell your exchange. If you sent crypto from an Indian exchange, raise a support ticket with the transaction hash and the scammer's address. If the scammer's address belongs to an exchange, that exchange may be able to freeze the account once police contact it.
- Tell your bank. If you paid in rupees by UPI, card or bank transfer, report it to your bank's fraud line and ask for the recipient account to be flagged.
- Secure your accounts. If you shared a password, OTP or seed phrase, move any remaining funds to a new wallet and change passwords. A leaked seed phrase means the wallet is permanently unsafe; see how to store a seed phrase safely.
Evidence to collect
| Evidence | Where to find it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction hash (TxID) | Your exchange's withdrawal history or wallet app | Proves the transfer and lets investigators trace it on-chain |
| Scammer's wallet address | Same withdrawal record, or the chat where it was sent | Can be flagged to exchanges and added to watchlists |
| UPI ID, bank account or IFSC | Your bank or UPI app | Lets banks freeze rupee funds |
| Website, app name and links | Browser history, app store page | Helps police take the site or app down |
| Chats, phone numbers, emails | WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, email | Links the fraud to people and SIM cards |
| Screenshots of the fake balance | The scam platform | Shows how you were misled |
Take screenshots with visible dates and times, and export chats where possible. Scammers often delete groups and profiles once a victim stops paying.
Other places to report
- Local police station or cyber cell: for large losses, ask for an FIR. The online complaint is often forwarded to the local police, but an FIR helps if a bank or exchange asks for one before freezing funds.
- Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi: the Department of Telecommunications' Chakshu facility lets you report suspected fraud calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages. It does not recover money, but helps get numbers blocked.
- Report & Check Suspect: on cybercrime.gov.in you can report a suspect phone number, email, website or social media account, and check whether a number or site has been reported before.
- The platform itself: report fake apps to the app store, and scam channels to Telegram or WhatsApp using their in-app report tools.
Can you get scammed crypto back?
Be realistic. A transfer on a blockchain cannot be cancelled by anyone. Recovery happens only if the funds can be stopped at a point someone controls:
- Exchange accounts: if the stolen crypto lands on an exchange that does KYC, police can ask it to freeze the account and identify the holder.
- Stablecoins: USDT and USDC issuers can freeze addresses linked to crime, usually on a request from law enforcement. Tether is ₹95.96 right now on our Tether price in INR page; many Indian scams ask for USDT for this reason, because it moves quickly.
- Rupee payments: money paid by UPI or bank transfer can sometimes be held in the receiving account if you report quickly through 1930.
Coins that have moved through many wallets or into a privacy tool are much harder to trace. If you sent crypto to the wrong address by mistake rather than to a scammer, the steps are different; see how to recover crypto sent to a wrong address.
Beware of "recovery" agents
After you post about a loss online, you may be contacted by "blockchain investigators", "ethical hackers" or even people claiming to be from a government agency or your exchange, promising to recover your funds for an upfront fee. Genuine police and exchanges do not charge you to investigate. Treat any such offer as a scam and add it to your complaint.
Common crypto scams in India
- Task and "part-time job" scams that pay small amounts, then ask you to deposit USDT.
- Fake trading apps and websites that show profits you can never withdraw.
- Telegram and WhatsApp "signal" groups and pump schemes.
- Fake customer support accounts asking for your seed phrase or remote access.
- P2P buyers who pay with stolen money, which can get your bank account frozen; see P2P trading risks.
Our full guide on how to avoid crypto scams in India covers the warning signs. To reduce risk, use an exchange on the FIU-registered exchanges list and download apps only through official stores; see how to download a crypto app safely.
FAQ
What is the helpline number for crypto fraud in India?
Call 1930, the national cybercrime helpline, and then file a written complaint on cybercrime.gov.in under Financial Fraud.
Can police recover crypto in India?
Sometimes. If the funds reach a KYC exchange or a freezable stablecoin, police can request a freeze. Crypto that stays in private wallets is much harder to recover.
Can I report a crypto scam online without going to the police station?
Yes. File on cybercrime.gov.in and track it with your acknowledgement number. For large losses, an FIR at your local police station or cyber cell is still worth getting.
Should I report a crypto scam even if the amount is small?
Yes. Small reports help link cases, and the scammer's wallet or number may already be tied to other victims.
This article is AI-assisted, educational and general in nature. It is not financial advice and never a guarantee of profit. Every trade is at your own risk on your own exchange. See our risk disclosure and editorial policy.
