In India, phishing scams can lead to criminal action when someone uses fake emails, websites, messages, or social-media accounts to deceive people, obtain passwords or banking details, or steal money.
Legal action that can be taken
File a cybercrime complaint: You can report the phishing incident through the Government of India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The portal accepts complaints relating to online fraud, social-media crimes, hacking and other cyber offences.
Call 1930 for financial fraud: If money has been lost through a phishing scam, report it immediately by calling 1930, the National Cyber Crime Helpline. Quick reporting can help authorities and financial institutions take steps to prevent further movement of the money.
Criminal prosecution: Depending on the facts, the scammer may face charges under applicable provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). For example, fraudulent or deceptive conduct may attract cheating-related offences, while forged electronic records may attract forgery provisions.
Preserve evidence: Keep the phishing email/message, website URL, screenshots, phone numbers, email IDs, chat records, transaction receipts, bank statements and other relevant documents. The cybercrime portal specifically recommends providing such evidence when filing a complaint.
Report the suspicious source: Even if you did not lose money, suspicious website URLs, phone numbers, email IDs, SMS headers and social-media URLs can be reported through the cybercrime portal's suspect-reporting facility.
If money or sensitive information has already been compromised, act immediately rather than waiting, because early reporting can improve the possibility of blocking or recovering funds.
