Got a scam message? Do this

Don't reply, don't call the number back, and don't click any link in the message — even an "unsubscribe" or "STOP" link. Any reply confirms your number is active and invites more attempts. If it's a call, hang up. If it claims to be your bank, hang up and call the number printed on your card or the bank's official website — never the number the caller gave you.

Scammers create urgency on purpose: "account blocked today", "parcel held", "KYC expiring". Urgency is itself a warning sign. You can check the message right here on the home page — but do that after you've stopped engaging with the sender.

The first hours matter — money recovered through the cybercrime "golden hour" process is usually money frozen quickly. If you shared banking details, an OTP or transferred money:

• Call your bank's fraud line immediately and ask them to freeze the account/card and block the transaction. Keep the complaint reference number.
• Call 1930 (national cyber fraud helpline, 24×7) — or file online at cybercrime.gov.in within the hour. Report within the first hour for the best chance of the money being frozen in the fraudster's account.
• If you installed an app or granted access, uninstall it, turn on airplane mode, and change passwords from another device.

If you shared nothing and paid nothing, skip to Step 3 — you're fine.

Block on the platform the message arrived on:

• WhatsApp: open the chat → tap the number at the top → Block and report. Reporting shares the last messages with WhatsApp for review.
• SMS: most Android phones offer "Block & report spam" in the message options; on iPhone, tap the number → Block this Caller. Forward spam SMS to 1909 (TRAI) or use the Sanchar Saathi app.
• Email: use "Report phishing" / "Report spam" in Gmail or Outlook — it trains the filter for everyone. Don't just delete it.
• Phone calls: report the number on Chakshu (Sanchar Saathi) — the government's portal for reporting fraud calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages. Reported numbers can get their connections disconnected.

Reporting takes a few minutes and protects the next person. For fraud in India:

• 1930 — the national cyber fraud helpline, for any money that was lost or almost lost.
• cybercrime.gov.in — file a written complaint; you'll get a acknowledgement number you can track.
• Chakshu — for the number/SMS/WhatsApp itself, even if you lost nothing.
• RBI Sachet — to flag fake investment platforms, trading groups and lending apps.

Also tell your bank in writing (email or the app's complaint section) even if no money left your account — it helps if the fraudster tries your details later. And add it to Scam Risk Watch's public report list so future checks pick it up.

A scam message that reached you means your number or email is on a fraudster's list. Lock things down before a second attempt:

• Change the password on your email account first — email resets can reach your bank, UPI and social accounts.
• Turn on two-step verification (2FA) on email, banking and WhatsApp. Prefer an authenticator app over SMS where possible.
• Enable a UPI transaction limit in your payment app, and review bank statements for small "test" debits (₹1–₹10) you didn't make.
• Check WhatsApp → Settings → Account for linked devices you don't recognise, and log them out.
• If calls or SMS stop arriving on your phone, your SIM may have been cloned — contact your operator immediately.

Days after a scam, a second message often arrives: "we're from the RBI/cyber police and can recover your money for a fee". This is the same fraudster — or a different one — targeting scam victims, because victims are the easiest people to find. Nobody legitimate charges a fee to recover money, and real agencies never contact you on WhatsApp. Report it the same way: 1930.