Fake website scam complaint process, documents and timeline
By Advocate Panchanand Shaw, Bar Council of West Bengal · Published 4 Nov 2026 · Court process
A fake website scam complaint moves on three tracks at once: the cyber helpline, your bank and the police. File with 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in first, notify your bank in writing the same day, then lodge an FIR under section 173 of the BNSS, 2023, keeping every acknowledgement number you receive.
A fake website scam complaint is not one filing but three, running in parallel. The cyber helpline and the national portal start the tracing of the money; your bank handles the freeze and the liability question; the police produce the FIR that gives the investigation legal force under section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Handled in the right order, the three tracks reinforce each other. Handled out of order, they contradict each other, and a case that was strong on the first day becomes weak within a month.
This article sets out the documents to assemble, the sequence of filings, who handles what, and how the stages actually run. The underlying law is the Information Technology Act, 2000, sections 66C and 66D, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, sections 318 and 319, with section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 governing how the digital records are proved.
Your documents, assembled before you file
Almost every avoidable delay in these cases comes from missing paperwork. Gather the following before you approach anyone, and keep a set for yourself.
| Document | Where to get it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bank or wallet statement | Net banking or the branch | Shows the disputed debit, reference number and beneficiary |
| UPI reference or UTR | Payment app history | The single identifier for tracing and freezing |
| Full-page website capture | Your own device | Preserves the page before it goes offline |
| Emails, SMS and chat | Your inbox and messages | Shows the inducement and the promises made |
| Documents you submitted | Your own copies | Needed if identity documents were disclosed |
| 1930 or portal acknowledgement | Helpline or cybercrime.gov.in | Links your complaint to the national tracking number |
| Complainant identity proof | Any government photo ID | Required for the written complaint and FIR |
| One-page chronology | You prepare it | Gives the officer and the court a clean sequence |
The complaint, step by step
Step one: fix the facts in writing
Write a short chronological note before you speak to anyone. Set out how you found the website, what you were promised, how much you paid, when you paid and how you realised it was a fraud. A one-page note keeps every later statement consistent, and consistency across the helpline, the bank and the police is exactly what an investigation checks first.
Step two: preserve the website and the payment records
Download a full-page capture of the site with the URL visible and the time noted, and save the HTML file as well as the screenshot. Download the bank or wallet statement covering the transaction. Do not edit, forward or re-save the original files, because the unedited originals are what a section 63 certificate later describes.
Step three: report to 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in
Call 1930 or file on cybercrime.gov.in. Note the acknowledgement or complaint number. This step is what places the transaction into the national cyber-fraud tracking process and what a bank or investigating officer will ask for. Do it the same day if the payment was made that day.
Step four: notify the bank in writing
Send an email to the branch and to the cyber-fraud nodal officer, and also submit a written complaint at the branch. Identify the transaction by reference number, describe it as fraudulent, and ask, in writing, that the beneficiary account be placed on hold and the debit be treated as disputed. Keep the acknowledgement the bank gives you; the liability position for unauthorised electronic transactions under the Reserve Bank of India's directions is measured from the moment you notify the bank.
Step five: file the police complaint or e-FIR
File at the cyber cell or the police station with jurisdiction, or electronically under section 173 of the BNSS. Attach the page capture, the payment record and the 1930 acknowledgement. State the sections you believe apply, and ask for the complaint to be registered. If the officer records a preliminary enquiry, ask for the enquiry number and follow it up in writing.
Step six: escalate to a magistrate if the FIR is refused
Where a police station declines to register the complaint, an application can be made before a magistrate under the BNSS seeking directions to investigate. In Kolkata and across West Bengal this route is used where the cyber cell is slow or the station treats the matter as a commercial dispute, and it is often the step that moves a stalled file.
Who handles what
| Forum | What it handles | What you take to it |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in | National tracing and tracking number | Transaction details and the site capture |
| Bank branch and nodal officer | Freeze, dispute and liability | Written complaint and reference number |
| Cyber cell or police station | FIR and investigation | Chronology, page capture, payment record |
| Magistrate under the BNSS | Directions to investigate | Proof that a written complaint was refused or ignored |
| Court at trial | Charge and evidence | Certified electronic records and witnesses |
How the stages run
The stages are best understood not as fixed dates but as dependencies. The bank's freeze depends on the reference number you supply, so it follows the helpline report. The police investigation depends on the freeze, because an account already emptied is hard to investigate. The prosecution depends on the digital records being preserved early, because the site is usually gone and only your capture and the platform's logs remain. Where a stage stalls, the next one cannot compensate for it; the answer is to escalate the stalled stage rather than skip ahead.
What the law says, in short
The complaint you file describes conduct falling under sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for identity theft and cheating by personation, and under sections 318 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 for cheating and cheating by personation, with section 336 where a fake document was used. The procedure is governed by sections 173 and 175 of the BNSS, and the digital records are proved under section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. Naming these provisions in the complaint helps the officer frame the offence correctly.
What decides the outcome
Three factors weigh most heavily. First, whether the money is traced and held before it is layered away, which makes the timing of the first report decisive. Second, whether the digital records are complete and authentic, since a page capture tied to a timestamp and supported by a section 63 certificate is treated very differently from a description. Third, whether the complainant's own conduct, such as sharing an OTP or allowing remote access, gave the fraudster a competing explanation that shifts the case toward contributory negligence.
Common mistakes
- Filing with one forum and assuming the others have been notified.
- Not collecting the acknowledgement number from 1930 or the portal.
- Sending the bank a message without a transaction reference or UTR.
- Editing, cropping or forwarding the page capture instead of keeping the original.
- Delaying the FIR because the bank has promised to "look into it".
- Abandoning the file after the first hearing, when follow-up is what keeps it alive.
What the cyber cell actually does with your complaint
Once an FIR is registered, the cyber cell identifies the beneficiary account from the reference number and sends a formal request to the bank to preserve and, where possible, freeze it. It then seeks subscriber and device details from the relevant service providers and platform logs from the hosting or e-commerce service, under the applicable provisions of the BNSS. The officer records statements, collects the digital records you preserved, and prepares the file for a charge-sheet. Understanding this sequence helps you supply the one thing that speeds the investigation most: a clean reference number and an unedited copy of the page.
Proving the fake page in court
The website is unlikely to exist by the time the matter reaches court, so the page is proved through your preserved copy and through the platform or hosting records obtained by the investigating officer. Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 governs how an electronic record is treated as a document and what its certificate must state. The certificate should identify the device used, the manner of extraction and the hash of the record, so the capture is tied to a specific moment rather than to an assertion that it once existed.
Keeping the file alive after the first hearing
These cases rarely move on their own. The practical tasks after the first hearing are to confirm that the freeze request reached the bank, to confirm that the platform records were sought, and to respond quickly whenever the court or the officer asks for something. A single unanswered notice can stall a matter for weeks. Keep every acknowledgement and every email, and follow up in writing so the record shows the file was pursued rather than abandoned.
Filing when you are in another city or state
You do not have to travel to the fraudster's location, which is usually unknown. Under section 173 of the BNSS an FIR may be filed electronically, and where the offence is detected elsewhere a complaint can first be recorded where you are through the zero-FIR route before being transferred to the police station with jurisdiction. Filing locally creates an early, timestamped record, which matters because the freeze depends on speed. Where the matter is ultimately dealt with in West Bengal, the complaint may be pursued before the Bankshall Court or the City Sessions Court, with the Calcutta High Court as the supervisory court.
What officers read first, and how to write for it
An investigating officer works from a short file and a long caseload. The documents read first are the chronology, the payment reference and the page capture, because those fix the amount, the time and the deception. Leading with those, and keeping the emotional account to a short paragraph, produces a faster and more accurate FIR than a long narrative that buries the transaction details. The same is true of your bank complaint, where the reference number should appear in the first line.
What your complaint should ask for, specifically
State your requests plainly. Ask that the transaction be traced, that the beneficiary account be placed on hold, that subscriber and device details tied to the payment be sought, and that the website and its hosting records be preserved. A complaint that asks for nothing concrete gives the officer nothing to act on, while a complaint that lists the specific steps creates a checklist the investigation can be measured against.
Where a lawyer fits
A lawyer is useful at the points where the tracks need to be coordinated: framing the FIR so the correct sections are named, drafting the bank complaint so the freeze request is precise, moving the magistrate application where the police do not register, and building the section 63 certificate for the digital records. For an overview of how these matters are handled, see cyber crime lawyer in Kolkata services, and to discuss a specific file you can reach the office through contact. The earlier the tracks are aligned, the fewer corrections are needed later.
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Call +91-9007000603 WhatsAppFrequently asked questions
What is the first step in a fake website scam complaint?
Report to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in first, because that starts the national tracing of the money and gives you an acknowledgement number. Before you call, take a full-page capture of the site with its URL and download your bank or wallet statement, so the transaction can be identified by its reference number without delay.
Do I need an FIR or is the online complaint enough?
You generally need both. The online report and the 1930 call start tracing and create a tracking number, while an FIR under section 173 of the BNSS gives the police formal investigative powers and forms the basis for a charge-sheet. The online report supports the FIR but does not replace it.
Which documents should I keep ready before filing?
Keep the bank or wallet statement showing the disputed debit, the UPI reference or UTR, a full-page capture of the website, the emails and chat showing the inducement, any identity documents you submitted, the 1930 acknowledgement, your photo ID and a one-page chronology. Assemble these before you approach anyone so the filing is not delayed.
How do I get the bank to freeze the beneficiary account?
Send a written complaint to the branch and to the cyber-fraud nodal officer, identifying the transaction by reference number and asking specifically that the beneficiary account be placed on hold and the debit treated as disputed. Keep the acknowledgement. The liability position under the Reserve Bank of India's directions is measured from when you notify the bank.
What can I do if the police refuse to register my complaint?
You can apply before a magistrate under the BNSS seeking directions to investigate, attaching proof that your written complaint was refused or ignored. This route is commonly used in West Bengal where a station treats a fake website case as a commercial dispute, and it is often the step that moves a stalled file forward.
How long does a fake website scam complaint take to resolve?
There is no fixed period, because the matter runs on dependencies rather than dates. The freeze depends on your transaction reference, the investigation depends on the freeze, and the prosecution depends on early preservation of the digital records. Escalating a stalled stage is more useful than waiting on a timeline.
Can the complaint be filed from another city or state?
Yes. Under section 173 of the BNSS an FIR may be filed electronically, and the zero-FIR mechanism allows a complaint to be recorded where the victim is, before it is transferred to the police station with jurisdiction. Filing locally first usually saves time and creates a record in your own state.
Information for general guidance only and not legal advice. Provisions cited follow the Information Technology Act 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023.
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