How to report a job scam, and what to do first
If money left your account, call 1930 right away, then tell your bank and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. If you only got a suspicious job message and lost nothing, report it on Chakshu in the Sanchar Saathi portal. Reporting is free, and no real official will ask you for a fee.
Start here: which report do you need?
What happened?
Call 1930 now, then file online
- Call 1930, the national cyber-fraud helpline. Tell them the amount, the date and time, and the transaction (UTR) number.
- Call your bank on the number printed on your card or passbook and ask them to block the transactions.
- Within 24 hours, file the full complaint on cybercrime.gov.in using the acknowledgement number from 1930.
- Stop paying. A request to pay "one last time" to get your money back is part of the scam.
Report the message on Chakshu
- Don't reply, don't click the link and don't pay anything.
- Take a screenshot that shows the number, the date and the time.
- Report it on Chakshu in the Sanchar Saathi portal. Choose how it came (call, SMS or WhatsApp) and add the screenshot.
- Block the number on WhatsApp and on your phone.
Get help for threats
- If you are in danger right now, call 112 for the police.
- Call 181, the Women Helpline, for advice and support at any hour.
- Keep the threatening messages as screenshots, then report them on cybercrime.gov.in.
- If you also paid money, call 1930 as well.
Reporting is free. Anyone who asks for a fee to file your complaint or to get your money back is running another scam.
Calling 1930: what happens on the call
1930 is the government's helpline for money lost to online fraud. Police staff in your state answer. They note what happened and your details, and raise a ticket in the national fraud reporting system (CFCFRMS), which alerts the banks the money went through so they can try to hold it.
You then get an SMS with an acknowledgement number. Keep it. You are asked to file the full complaint on cybercrime.gov.in within 24 hours, using that number.
Have this ready before you call
- The amount, and the date and time of each payment.
- The transaction ID or UTR number of each payment (in your UPI app's history or the bank's SMS).
- Your bank's name and your account number.
- Where the money went: the UPI ID, account number or phone number you paid.
Up to 30 June 2026, money worth more than ₹11,158 crore was saved through this system, across more than 32.8 lakh complaints (Ministry of Home Affairs).
Filing on cybercrime.gov.in, step by step
- Open cybercrime.gov.in, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, and choose Register a Complaint. Accept the terms.
- Choose the financial fraud option if you lost money. If you didn't, choose other cyber crime and look for the online job fraud category. The labels on your screen may be worded a little differently.
- Log in with your name and mobile number. You get a one-time password (OTP) by SMS.
- Fill in what happened: the payments, the bank you paid from, and where the money went.
- Add what you know about the scammer: phone numbers, UPI IDs, website, company name, email.
- Upload your evidence (screenshots, PDFs). The size limit per file is shown on the screen.
- Preview, submit and download the PDF of your complaint.
You get a complaint number by SMS and email. Use Track your Complaint on the portal to follow it. The police of the state you chose handle it.
Only use the real address, cybercrime.gov.in. The portal itself warns about fake emails that pretend to come from officials.
Evidence to save, and where to find it
| What to save | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Transaction ID or UTR of every payment | Your UPI app's history, or the bank's SMS |
| The UPI IDs, account numbers and phone numbers you paid or talked to | Payment screens, chat headers, call log |
| Screenshots of the chats | WhatsApp and Telegram: make sure the number, date and time show |
| The job message or "offer letter" | Save the SMS screenshot, email or PDF |
| Links and website names | Copy them from the chat into a note |
Don't delete the chat, even if you feel embarrassed. It is your proof.
What your bank can and can't do
Call your bank the same day, whatever happened. It can block your cards and UPI, raise a dispute, and act on the alert from 1930.
RBI's 2017 rule that limits your loss to zero covers unauthorised transactions, where someone else used your account without you, if you report within 3 working days. When you made the payment yourself after being tricked, that rule usually doesn't apply.
RBI has announced new rules from 1 January 2027: a one-time compensation for digital fraud of 85% of the loss or ₹25,000, whichever is lower, for losses up to ₹50,000, if you report to the bank and to 1930 or the portal within 5 days (as reported by Moneylife). Ask your bank whether your case qualifies.
Going to the police station
A complaint on the portal is not an FIR. You can also go to any police station and ask for an FIR. Under the new criminal law (BNSS section 173), you can file a Zero FIR at any station, even if the fraud happened elsewhere. Take your evidence and the complaint PDF.
In places where the e-Zero FIR system is live, a cyber financial fraud above ₹10 lakh reported through 1930 or the portal becomes a Zero FIR automatically. You then visit the police station within 3 days to turn it into a regular FIR.
After you report
- Nobody official charges a fee. Ignore anyone who offers to "recover" your money for a payment, even if they say they are police or a lawyer.
- If scammers threaten you or your family, call 181, the Women Helpline, or report harassment to the National Commission for Women on 14490.
- Check which mobile numbers are registered in your name in the Sanchar Saathi portal, and report any you don't recognise.
- Tell one person you trust. You did nothing shameful: these scams are run by organised groups.
When you are ready to look for work again, look for work that pays you and never asks you to pay. Our guide to spotting fake work-from-home jobs shows the red flags, and the HerWorkCircle skill check is free.
Questions
Is calling 1930 free?
Yes. 1930 is a free government helpline for money lost to online fraud. Call it as soon as you notice the loss.
Can I report a fake job message if I didn't lose any money?
Yes. Report the number or message on Chakshu in the Sanchar Saathi portal. 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in are for cases where money was lost or a crime happened.
Do I have to go to the police station?
No. You can file the whole complaint online at cybercrime.gov.in and track it there. You can also go to any police station for an FIR, including a Zero FIR.
How fast should I report?
Straight away. The sooner 1930 gets the details, the better the chance the money can be held. After the call, file the full complaint online within 24 hours.
Will I get my money back?
Sometimes part or all of it, if the money is held quickly. Nobody can promise it. Never pay anyone who claims they can recover it for a fee.
Is my complaint on the portal an FIR?
No. The complaint number is not an FIR number. The police review your complaint, and you can separately ask for an FIR at a police station.
Sources
- National helpline for reporting online financial fraud (how the call and acknowledgement work) Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs (17 June 2021)
- CFCFRMS 2.0: money saved and complaints to 30 June 2026 Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs (July 2026)
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal Ministry of Home Affairs
- Citizen manual: Report other cybercrime (categories, evidence, complaint ID) Ministry of Home Affairs
- Portal FAQs National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
- Chakshu: report suspected fraud communication Department of Telecommunications, Sanchar Saathi
- Customer protection: limiting liability in unauthorised electronic banking transactions (6 July 2017) Reserve Bank of India
- RBI notifies digital fraud compensation rules, rollout from 1 January 2027 Moneylife (25 June 2026)
- e-Zero FIR for cyber financial fraud: Lok Sabha answer Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Sabha
- Women Helpline 181 Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Women and Child Development (November 2025)
- Contact: helpline 14490 National Commission for Women