How to File a Cyber Crime Complaint in Chennai (2026): Step-by-Step

Cyber crime complaints in Chennai have tripled since 2023 — UPI fraud, sextortion, phishing, investment scams and identity theft dominate the caseload at the Greater Chennai Police Cyber Crime Cell. The first 24 hours are critical. This guide is the exact process our cyber crime lawyers in Chennai follow.

The Golden First-Hour Checklist

1. Call 1930 — the national cyber crime and financial fraud helpline. For fraudulent debits, this triggers a bank-level hold on the recipient account.
2. Freeze your accounts — call your bank / UPI app fraud line and block the card / UPI ID.
3. Preserve evidence — screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs, phone numbers, email headers. Do not delete WhatsApp threads or emails.
4. File on cybercrime.gov.in within 24 hours — attach evidence and get an acknowledgement number.
5. Follow up with the Chennai Cyber Crime Cell for FIR conversion.

1. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in)

Two report categories:

• Women/Child — sextortion, morphed images, harassment, CSAM
• Other Cyber Crime — financial fraud, phishing, hacking, matrimonial fraud, ransomware, identity theft

Register with mobile OTP → fill incident details → upload evidence (max 5MB per file) → submit. You receive a complaint ID within 24 hours.

2. Chennai Cyber Crime Cell

• Greater Chennai Police Cyber Crime Cell — Vepery, opposite Commissioner's Office
• Central Crime Branch (CCB) Cyber Crime Wing — handles high-value / organised cyber cases
• Every district in Tamil Nadu now has a Cyber Crime Police Station under the SP

Walk in with a printed complaint, ID proof, evidence CD/USB and the online portal acknowledgement. Insist on a receipt and CSR (Community Service Register) number.

3. When to Convert to FIR

If loss exceeds ₹10,000 or the case involves impersonation, defamation, sextortion or unauthorised access under the IT Act, insist on FIR registration under:

• IT Act, 2000 — Sec 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation), 66E (privacy), 67/67A (obscene content), 43 (unauthorised access)
• BNS 2023 — Sec 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery), 356 (defamation)

Police refusal to register FIR is challengeable under Sec 173(4) BNSS before the concerned Magistrate.

4. Evidence Preservation Rules

Do not "screenshot and delete". Original digital evidence with hash values is admissible under Sec 61-65 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. Deleted evidence is often unrecoverable and weakens the case.

• Preserve device — do not factory-reset the affected phone/laptop
• Export full WhatsApp / email history (with headers)
• Collect bank statements showing debit and beneficiary details
• Get a Sec 65B certificate for every electronic record before filing in court

5. Types of Cases We Handle Weekly at Velan Law

• UPI / Net banking / credit card fraud
• Sextortion and video-call blackmail
• Matrimonial and dating-app fraud
• Investment / trading app scams (fake Zerodha, Groww clones)
• Loan-app harassment and morphing
• Business email compromise (CEO fraud)
• Ransomware and unauthorised data access

6. Chargeback and Money Recovery

The 1930 helpline plus rapid portal filing triggers RBI's Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting mechanism — funds still lying in the fraudster's account can be reversed. Success rate drops sharply after 72 hours.

7. Legal Notice to Platforms

For content-based crimes (defamation, morphed images, revenge porn), we send takedown notices under IT Rules 2021 to Meta, X, Google and Telegram — usually resolved within 24–72 hours.

Speak to a Cyber Crime Lawyer in Chennai

Velan Law Associates operates a dedicated Chennai cyber crime practice. We also handle related criminal defence in Chennai and general litigation if the matter escalates.

Related reading: When to hire a criminal lawyer in Chennai · Legal notice drafting · Legal FAQ hub.

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