Labs · Cyber Security
Lab: Prepare a Cyber-Crime Reporting Checklist for cybercrime.gov.in and the 1930 Helpline (Practice Only, Nothing Is Submitted)
Course: Cyber Security · Chapter 34: Indian Cyber Law and Cyber Crime Awareness
Chapter 34 explains Indian cyber law and cyber crime; this lab turns that knowledge into a ready-to-use reporting checklist.
Chala mitrano! When money is stolen online, the first hour matters most. People panic, search Google, and lose time. Today we prepare calmly, before anything happens: who to call, what to say, what evidence to keep. This is a practice lab: we explore, we do not submit anything. Tayari aadhi, ghabraat nako!
चला मित्रांनो! Online पैसे चोरीला गेले की पहिला तास सगळ्यात महत्त्वाचा. लोक घाबरतात, Google करतात, आणि वेळ घालवतात. आज आपण काही होण्याआधी शांतपणे तयारी करणार: कोणाला call करायचा, काय सांगायचं, कोणता evidence ठेवायचा. हा practice lab आहे: आपण explore करणार, काहीही submit करणार नाही. तयारी आधी, घाबरू नका!
चलो दोस्तों! Online पैसे चोरी हो जाएँ तो पहला घंटा सबसे ज़रूरी होता है। लोग घबराते हैं, Google करते हैं, और वक़्त गँवाते हैं। आज हम कुछ होने से पहले शांति से तैयारी करेंगे: किसे call करना है, क्या बोलना है, कौन सा evidence रखना है। ये practice lab है: हम explore करेंगे, कुछ भी submit नहीं करेंगे। तैयारी पहले, घबराओ मत!
Suppose we are…
Suppose our uncle in Nashik gets a call: "Your electricity bill is unpaid, pay ₹10 on this link or power will be cut." He pays through PhonePe and then sees ₹48,500 debited from his account. He calls us. We work for the security team at HDFC Bank, so we know what to do, but the family does not. In this lab we prepare the exact checklist using a practice case (the names, numbers and UTR below are made up).
Goal of this lab
By the end you will have:
- A first-hour action list: 1930 helpline, bank, cybercrime.gov.in.
- An evidence list for a UPI fraud case, filled with the practice data.
- A one-page family card saved on your phone and printed for elders.
What you need (all free)
- A browser and a notes app. About 30 minutes.
- Practice case data: victim "R. Patil", bank account XXXX4421, debit ₹48,500 on 06 Oct 2026 at 19:42 IST, UPI ref (UTR)
628912345678, receiver UPI IDbillpay.mseb@upi-fake, caller number+91 90000 00000, SMS linkhttp://mseb-bill-update.example.
Safety and ethics
This is practice only. Do not submit a complaint or call 1930 with the practice data: false reports waste police time and can be an offence. Use the portal only to see the menus and fields.
Steps
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Write the first-hour order at the top of your notes:
- Call 1930 (National Cyber Crime Helpline) as soon as possible. Quick reporting gives the best chance to freeze the money in the receiving accounts.
- Call your bank's official helpline (number on the back of your card or in the bank app) and block UPI, cards and net banking.
- File or complete the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and note the acknowledgement number.
-
Open
https://cybercrime.gov.inin your browser.What you should see: Register a Complaint with categories such as Women/Children Related Crime, Financial Fraud and Other Cyber Crime, plus Track your Complaint and Report & Check Suspect. (Menu names change from time to time; look for the closest match.)
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Under Register a Complaint open the Financial Fraud option and read the instructions page. Note what it asks for (mobile number for OTP login, incident details, suspect details, evidence upload). Then close the page without logging in or submitting.
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Build the evidence list and fill it with the practice data:
Evidence Practice value Where to find it Transaction ID / UTR 628912345678 Bank SMS, UPI app history Date, time, amount 06 Oct 2026, 19:42 IST, ₹48,500 Bank SMS / statement Receiver UPI ID or account billpay.mseb@upi-fake UPI app → transaction details Caller number +91 90000 00000 Phone call log screenshot Link / message http://mseb-bill-update.example SMS screenshot Victim bank and account HDFC Bank, XXXX4421 Passbook / app -
Add the do-not list: do not delete the SMS, call log or app history; do not pay any "refund agent" who calls back; do not share OTPs or install screen-sharing apps (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) on anyone's request.
-
On your own phone, find (do not tap) where your UPI app shows the UTR / UPI Ref No. of a past payment, so you can find it quickly under stress.
What you should see: a 12-digit UPI transaction reference in the payment details screen.
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Note the extra reporting channels: Report & Check Suspect on the same portal (to report or check a suspicious phone number, UPI ID or website), Sanchar Saathi → Chakshu (
sancharsaathi.gov.in) to report suspected fraud calls and SMS, and your bank's "report fraud" option in its app. - Make the one-page family card: "Money stolen? 1) Call 1930 now. 2) Call bank:
. 3) Keep SMS and screenshots. 4) cybercrime.gov.in, note the acknowledgement number." Save it as a phone wallpaper or note, and print one for elders.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Remember the RBI rule of thumb: if a fraud happens because of someone else's breach and you report it to your bank quickly (within three working days), your liability can be zero. Speed protects money. And always use numbers from the card or official app, never from a Google search, because fake "helpline" numbers are a scam too!
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
RBI चा नियम लक्षात ठेवा: दुसऱ्याच्या breach मुळे fraud झाला आणि तुम्ही bank ला लवकर (तीन working days मध्ये) कळवलं, तर तुमची liability शून्य असू शकते. वेग पैसे वाचवतो. आणि नेहमी card वरचे किंवा official app मधले numbers वापरा, Google search मधले कधीच नाही, कारण fake "helpline" numbers पण scam असतात!
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
RBI का नियम याद रखो: किसी और के breach की वजह से fraud हुआ और आपने bank को जल्दी (तीन working days में) बताया, तो आपकी liability ज़ीरो हो सकती है। तेज़ी पैसे बचाती है। और हमेशा card पर या official app के numbers इस्तेमाल करो, Google search वाले कभी नहीं, क्योंकि fake "helpline" numbers भी scam होते हैं!
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting until the next day to report | Money moves through many accounts and is harder to freeze | Call 1930 immediately |
| Calling a "helpline" found on Google | Scammers run fake helpline numbers | Use the number on your card or the official app |
| Deleting the scam SMS "to be safe" | Evidence is lost | Keep it; take screenshots |
| Not noting the acknowledgement number | You cannot track the complaint | Write it on the family card |
| Submitting a test complaint with fake data | Wastes police time; may be an offence | Explore only; never submit practice data |
Self-check checklist
0 of 5 done
Try-at-home challenge
Your friend's Instagram account was hacked and is posting "investment" scams. This is not a money loss yet. Which category and which other steps apply?
Check your answer
Use the Other Cyber Crime category on cybercrime.gov.in (social media account compromise); the portal also has a Report Abuse to Social Media link. Also: recover the account through Instagram's official "hacked account" flow (instagram.com/hacked), turn on 2-step verification (Lab 22), warn followers from another account, and keep screenshots of the scam posts as evidence. Call 1930 only if someone actually lost money.
Samjla ka? Prepare before panic: 1930, bank, portal, evidence. Aata pudhe jaauya: Chapter 35 is about careers and bug bounty.