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Cyber Crime & Online Fraud Recovery
UPI fraud, credit-card skim, phishing-led account takeover, deepfake-led extortion, romance scams, and crypto exit-scams, cyber-crime now hits Indian residents and NRIs equally hard, and recovery is possible only inside narrow time windows. LawCrust coordinates emergency cyber-fraud recovery and prosecution for individual victims.
Background
What cyber-crime recovery covers in India
Cyber-crime in India is investigated under the Information Technology Act 2000 (Section 66 to 66F), the Indian Penal Code (now BNS, Sections 318 to 323, cheating; Section 336, forgery), and the Banking Regulation Act read with the RBI Master Direction on Customer Liability (RBI/2017-18/15). Recovery is fastest in the first 60 minutes via the national cyber-fraud helpline 1930, followed by an FIR within 24 hours at the local cyber police station and a parallel complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. Defence work covers fraud reporting, RBI bank-liability claims, civil recovery suits, and prosecution support.
What We Handle
Scope of Work
- ▸ Emergency 1930 helpline coordination and bank-account freeze requests
- ▸ FIR registration at cyber police stations across India
- ▸ cybercrime.gov.in complaint follow-through and case-monitoring
- ▸ RBI customer-liability framework claims against the defrauded bank
- ▸ Civil recovery suits and Consumer Forum complaints for high-value fraud
- ▸ Crypto-fraud and digital-asset recovery via FIU-IND and exchange notices
- ▸ Cyber-defamation, takedown notices, and right-to-be-forgotten petitions
- ▸ Coordination with foreign cyber-counsel for cross-border fraud
Who It's For
Indian residents and NRIs who have been victims of UPI fraud, credit-card skim, online investment fraud, phishing, account takeover, ransomware, online defamation, or crypto exit-scams.
How It Works
A Four-Step Path to Clarity
- 01Emergency intake
Same-day call to gather transaction records, FIR readiness, banking details, and the timeline of the fraud.
- 021930 + FIR + RBI claim filed in parallel
Helpline freeze attempted within hours; FIR drafted and registered at the cyber police station; RBI customer-liability claim filed with the bank within 3 working days.
- 03Recovery tracking and escalations
Banking Ombudsman complaint where bank refuses refund; Consumer Forum complaint where Ombudsman insufficient; civil suit for residual amounts.
- 04Prosecution support and closure
Coordination with investigating officer through the FIR-to-chargesheet timeline; victim impact statements where required.
Representative Matters
Work We Have Handled in Cyber Crime & Online Fraud Recovery
Anonymised practice descriptions. Client identities, matter values, and venues are withheld for confidentiality, per BCI guidelines.
- 01
Recovered ₹14 lakh for an HNI client defrauded via a phishing-led account takeover; RBI customer-liability claim succeeded at the Banking Ombudsman.
- 02
Coordinated FIR + 1930 freeze for an NRI defrauded via a romance-scam UPI transfer; partial recovery via beneficiary account freeze within 90 minutes.
- 03
Filed a Section 66 IT Act prosecution and parallel civil suit for an investment fraud exceeding ₹1 crore; chargesheet filed and assets attached.
Cross-Border Matters, India Jurisdiction
Indian cyber-crime cells, the 1930 helpline, the RBI Ombudsman, and Consumer Courts are all Indian-jurisdiction forums. LawCrust handles them all. Where the scammer is based abroad (Telegram-led pig butchering, Nigeria-route romance scams, US shell-account funnels), we coordinate FIU-IND alerts and, where applicable, Interpol/MLAT requests through Indian-jurisdiction channels.
In Their Words
What Clients Say About Cyber Crime & Online Fraud Recovery
"They froze the recipient account at 1930 within 50 minutes of my call. I recovered ₹8 lakh of the ₹11 lakh stolen. They were calm and fast when I was panicking. Worth every rupee."
"My father, 76, was scammed by a "CBI officer" impersonator. They filed FIR, RBI complaint, and a complaint to NPCI. ₹6.2 lakh of ₹9 lakh recovered. The team treated him with dignity."
"NRI in California. ₹40 lakh romance scam via UPI from an Indian account. They got the recipient frozen and filed Section 66D IT Act prosecution. Partial recovery and full closure of the matter."
Reviews shown are anonymised at the client's request, identifiers, matter values, and outcomes are withheld for confidentiality per BCI guidelines and our privilege obligations.
Common Questions
Cyber Crime & Online Fraud Recovery, Asked & Answered
I was just scammed via UPI. What do I do in the next 60 minutes?
Call 1930 (the national cyber-fraud helpline) immediately. Provide the transaction reference number, the recipient UPI ID, the amount, and the timestamp. The helpline can issue an urgent freeze request to the recipient bank, which works only before the recipient withdraws the funds, typically a 30-to-90 minute window. We support this call with parallel FIR registration and an RBI customer-liability claim against your bank.
My bank says the fraud is my fault and is refusing to refund. What recourse do I have?
The RBI Master Direction on Customer Liability (RBI/2017-18/15) caps your liability at zero or a small fixed amount depending on how quickly you reported and the nature of the fraud. Banks frequently misapply the framework. We file an internal escalation, then a Banking Ombudsman complaint (decided within 30 to 60 days), then a Consumer Forum complaint if necessary. Recovery is common in the first two tiers.
I was the victim of a crypto exit-scam (₹50 lakh+). Is recovery possible?
Partially. The first step is reporting to FIU-IND (Financial Intelligence Unit) and the local cyber cell with all wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and exchange records. Indian exchanges are now KYC-compliant; foreign exchanges can be served via mutual legal assistance. Recovery rates are modest but the FIR itself helps with insurance, business-loss documentation, and tax write-offs.
I am being extorted with deepfake morphed images. What do I do without it becoming public?
Move within hours. (1) Do not pay the extortioner, payment guarantees repeat demands. (2) FIR under Section 384/385 BNS + Section 67/67A IT Act, you can request that the FIR proceedings be "in-camera" for privacy. (3) Platform takedown of any posted content via Rule 3(2)(b) IT Rules. (4) Forensic preservation of WhatsApp/Telegram chats. We handle all four tracks discreetly.
I clicked a phishing link and lost ₹6 lakh from my account. Will the bank refund me?
Yes, if you act fast and follow the RBI customer-liability framework (RBI/2017-18/15). Report to the bank within 3 working days, file the FIR within 24 hours, and the bank is obliged to refund the disputed amount within 10 working days subject to investigation. Where the bank refuses, the Banking Ombudsman is the next forum, then Consumer Court. We have a high refund-success rate at the Ombudsman tier.
My elderly parent was scammed in an "FedEx parcel" or "CBI officer" call. Can we trace and recover?
These "investigation-officer impersonation" scams are now the highest-volume cyber fraud category in India. Recovery is harder because money moves quickly to mule accounts, but the 1930 helpline can freeze recipient accounts in the first 60 minutes. We coordinate the parallel FIR, mule-account freeze applications, and Banking Ombudsman claims. Older clients also need help navigating police paperwork, we handle that end-to-end.
Speak With Counsel
Discuss Your Cyber Crime & Online Fraud Recovery Matter
Share a few details. A member of our team responds within one business day with a written next-step plan. The first call is nominal and confidential.
- ✓ Response within one business day, no IVR, no gatekeepers.
- ✓ Confidential. Information shared here is covered by professional privilege.
- ✓ India-side counsel for NRIs, available in US, UK, Gulf, APAC time zones.
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