To file a crypto fraud complaint in India, call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930 as soon as you can, then file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in. At the same time, contact your bank to block anything linked to the fraud, and contact your crypto platform through its official support channels only. Keep a single evidence file with your timeline, transaction IDs, wallet addresses and screenshots.
Speed matters most for the rupee side. Complaints made through 1930 are forwarded to banks, wallets and merchants, which can freeze money that is still sitting in an account. Once money has moved on, or once crypto has left a platform, recovery gets much harder. The documents you gather on the first day decide what anyone, police, bank or exchange, can do for you.
Start with 1930
1930 is the helpline for financial cyber fraud. It replaced the older 155260 number and now runs round the clock. It is part of the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, launched in 2021. According to a Rajya Sabha reply on 17 December 2025, that system has saved more than ₹7,000 crore across more than 23 lakh complaints.
When you call, keep these ready:
- your bank account and card details
- the transaction ID, UTR number or a statement showing the payment
- the suspect's account number, UPI ID or phone number
If you paid rupees to a scammer by UPI or bank transfer, this is the step most likely to stop the money moving further. Do not wait until you have every screenshot organised. Call first, organise after.
Build your evidence file
Open a folder, on your computer or in a notebook, and put everything in one place. Do it today, while you still remember the details.
Your timeline
Write down, in order, what happened and when. How you were first contacted. What you were told. What you paid or sent, and when. When you realised something was wrong. Dates and times matter. A clear timeline makes every later conversation shorter.
Money and coin trail
- Bank or UPI transaction IDs and UTR numbers for every rupee payment.
- Crypto transaction IDs (hashes) for every on-chain transfer.
- Wallet addresses you sent coins to, copied exactly.
- Your exchange statements showing deposits, buys and withdrawals.
Contact trail
- Phone numbers, usernames, profile links, group names and websites the scammers used.
- Screenshots of chats, with the date and the other party's number or handle visible.
- Any app you were asked to install, and where the link came from.
Do not delete chats, even embarrassing ones. Do not confront the scammers or warn them that you have complained. And do not send them anything more, whatever they promise.
Filing on cybercrime.gov.in
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, is where you file an online complaint. Type the address yourself. Do not follow a link from a message or a search ad.
Use your evidence file to fill the form. Attach screenshots and statements where the form allows. Write the timeline in plain language. Note the acknowledgement or complaint number you receive and keep it in the folder. You may later be asked to visit a police station or give a statement, and that number ties everything together.
People often ask whether police can trace crypto. Bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public ledger, so the movement of coins between addresses can be followed. Linking an address to a real person usually depends on where the coins end up, for example at a platform that has done KYC on its users. Registered platforms in India must verify customers and keep records that let each transaction be reconstructed, for five years. That is why accurate addresses and transaction IDs in your complaint matter.
Contacting your exchange through official channels
If the fraud involved your exchange account, or if you sent coins from an exchange, tell the exchange. Use only the contact details on its own website or app.
For Unocoin, the official channels are support@unocoin.com, +91 7788978910 and toll-free 1800-103-2646, Monday to Saturday, 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM IST. Real Unocoin support never asks for your OTP, password, PAN or seed phrase in chat. Nobody genuine does.
When you write, include your complaint number from 1930 or the portal, the transaction IDs and the addresses involved. Ask them to secure your account. Then change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication.
If the scam involved a self-custody wallet and you shared its seed phrase, treat that wallet as compromised. Create a new wallet on a clean device and move anything that remains straight away.
What your exchange can and cannot do
It helps to know what to expect, so you are not disappointed or misled.
A platform registered with FIU-IND has duties under the PMLA. It must verify its customers, keep records that let each transaction be reconstructed, and report suspicious transactions to FIU-IND. It can secure your account, check its own records, and respond to requests from the police.
What it cannot do is reverse a Bitcoin transaction that has already been confirmed on the network. Once coins have gone to an address the scammer controls, no exchange can pull them back. That is why the evidence you give, exact addresses and transaction IDs, matters so much: it lets investigators follow the coins to the next platform that knows who its user is.
Recovery agents: the second scam
Here is something I wish more people knew. After a fraud, you become a target again.
Scammers buy and share lists of people who have lost money. Within days, you may hear from a "recovery expert", a "blockchain investigator", a "lawyer" or even someone claiming to be from a government agency. They say they can trace and return your coins. They need a fee first. Then another fee for "release". Then a "tax".
Genuine recovery happens through the police, the cyber portal, your bank and the platforms involved. Nobody legitimate will demand an upfront fee in crypto to return your crypto. If someone does, add their details to your evidence file and report them too.
We learned early at Unocoin how convincing an unexpected offer can look. In 2014 my co-founder deleted a real investor's email twice because it looked like a scam. His instinct was the right one. Unexpected help that arrives right when you need it deserves the same suspicion.
Looking after yourself
Being scammed is not stupidity. Modern scams are run by organised groups who rehearse their scripts, use fake apps and websites, and build trust over weeks. Smart, careful people get caught.
Talk to someone you trust. Tell your family, so the same people cannot try again through them. And if the loss affects your tax filing, for example if you sold coins during the fraud, speak to a CA. Every sale still goes in Schedule VDA, and VDA losses cannot be set off against other income.
The steps again, in order:
- Call 1930.
- Call your bank.
- File on cybercrime.gov.in and keep the complaint number.
- Contact your exchange through official channels.
- Secure your accounts and wallets.
- Ignore anyone who offers recovery for a fee.
Our safety checklist lists the red flags and the official support details in one place. Save it before you need it. The Learn page covers wallets and seed phrases from the start.
Common questions
How do I file a crypto fraud complaint in India?
Call 1930 as fast as you can, then file on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in. Contact your bank and your exchange through official channels, and keep your complaint number.
What documents do I need for a cyber complaint?
A written timeline, bank or UPI transaction IDs, crypto transaction hashes and wallet addresses, exchange statements, and screenshots of chats with the scammer's number, handle or website visible.
Can police trace crypto?
Bitcoin moves on a public ledger, so transfers between addresses can be followed. Linking an address to a person usually depends on the coins reaching a platform that verified its users, which is why accurate addresses and IDs matter.
Are crypto recovery services real?
Be very careful. People who lost money are often targeted again by fake recovery agents who demand upfront fees. Genuine recovery goes through 1930, the cyber portal, police, banks and the platforms involved.