Real cases

Real cases

• Digital arrest

  Digital arrest: extortion through a fake video-call 'arrest'

  This is a composite illustration drawn from thousands of similar complaints, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude of such a loss, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited below are real. There is no such thing as a 'digital arrest' in Indian law, and no agency arrests anyone over a video call. The callers pose as police, CBI, ED or Customs officers, keep the person on camera for hours, and have money transferred 'for verification'. The only correct response to such a call is to hang up.

  Amount lost

  ₹12 lakh

  Partially recovered

• Identity theft

  Courier and customs scam: 'drugs were found in a parcel in your name'

  This is a composite illustration assembled from similar complaints across the country, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The essential point is that no government department collects a fine over the phone. Any notice from Customs, the police or the NCB comes in writing, not as a 'clearance fee' settled on a call.

  Amount lost

  ₹3 lakh

  Not recovered

• Identity theft

  Fake customer care: a number from search results and a shared screen

  This is a composite illustration built from the near-identical complaints received every day, not the record of one real case; the amount only indicates the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The root of the problem here is that the number came from search results or an advertisement, not from the company's own website. And the biggest rule of all: never install a remote-access app because someone on a call asks you to, since the moment your screen is shared your OTP and banking details are plainly visible to them.

  Amount lost

  ₹95,000

  Partially recovered

• Investment fraud

  Task and investment scam: a small payout that buys your trust

  This is a composite illustration assembled from hundreds of similar complaints, not the record of one real case; the amount only indicates the usual order of magnitude of the loss, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The engine of this scam is a small early payout — a few hundred or a few thousand rupees genuinely credited — and that trust is what draws in the large amount. The clearest rule is this: if you are asked to pay money in order to withdraw money, it is always fraud.

  Amount lost

  ₹4.5 lakh

  Not recovered

• Loan-app harassment

  Loan app harassment: a small loan and a big threat

  This is a composite illustration built from many similar complaints, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The single most important point is never to grant an app access to your contact list, gallery or SMS — that permission is what later becomes the weapon. The threats and public shaming used for 'recovery' are themselves a crime, and such illegal lenders can also be reported on the RBI Sachet portal (sachet.rbi.org.in).

  Amount lost

  ₹25,000

  Not recovered

• Matrimonial fraud

  Matrimonial fraud: an overseas 'match' and a customs duty that does not exist

  This is a composite illustration built from many similar complaints, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The central lie in this pattern is the 'customs duty' — genuine customs duty is never paid into a personal bank account or UPI ID, it is paid only through an official government challan. The moment a demand for money attaches itself to emotional trust, it is time to stop.

  Amount lost

  ₹8 lakh

  Not recovered

• Phishing

  KYC phishing: the 'update today or your account will be blocked' message

  This is a composite illustration built from the near-identical complaints every bank receives daily, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The basic point is that a bank never asks you to complete KYC through a link, and never asks for an OTP, PIN or CVV. One more thing is worth remembering: reporting within three working days of the bank's intimation gives the customer zero liability under the RBI customer protection framework.

  Amount lost

  ₹85,000

  Not recovered

• Sextortion

  Sextortion: blackmail with a recorded video call

  This is a composite illustration drawn from many similar complaints, not the record of one real case; the amount only indicates the usual order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. Two things about this crime are clear: paying never stops the demand, it only increases it, and staying silent out of shame is the blackmailer's greatest strength. Being targeted is nothing to be ashamed of — speaking up and reporting is what stops it.

  Amount lost

  ₹40,000

  Not recovered

• SIM swap

  SIM swap: hours of dead network for no reason

  This is a composite illustration drawn from similar complaints, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The clearest signal of this fraud looks trivial: the phone's network dies for hours with no reason. Most people dismiss it as a technical glitch, and that gives the fraudsters all the time they need to empty the account.

  Amount lost

  ₹2.1 lakh

  Partially recovered

• UPI fraud

  UPI collect request: the PIN that takes money instead of giving it

  This is a composite illustration built from the many near-identical complaints filed every day, not the record of one real case; the amount only shows the typical order of magnitude, while the method, the warning signs and the sections cited are real. The whole lesson fits in one sentence: receiving money never requires a UPI PIN. The PIN exists only to send money, and scanning a QR code is also a payment.

  Amount lost

  ₹60,000

  Partially recovered