Kanoon SamjhoIndian law, made simple
Cyber Crime

Act fast

I paid money for an online job or task scam.

Simple answer

Stop paying and report it at once on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. Tricking you into paying for 'tasks', 'investments' or a 'release fee' is cheating, a crime. Genuine employers don't ask you to deposit money to earn, and more payments will not unlock your 'earnings'.

Real-life examples

Neha got a WhatsApp offer: ₹50 for each YouTube video she liked. She was paid ₹150 at first, then asked to 'invest' ₹5,000 in 'prepaid tasks'. The website showed ₹40,000 in earnings, but she had to pay a ₹20,000 'tax' to withdraw. She stopped paying and called 1930.

Ravi was offered ₹10,000 a month just to let a 'company' use his bank account for payments. The money coming in was from fraud victims. His account was frozen and police questioned him — renting out your account is not a job.

What should you do?

  1. 1Stop all payments now. Paying a 'tax', 'release' or 'withdrawal' fee will not get your money back.
  2. 2Call 1930 with every transaction ID (UTR), amount and date, and the UPI IDs or bank accounts you paid.
  3. 3Complete the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. Attach screenshots of chats, group names, website links and payment receipts.
  4. 4Report the WhatsApp or Telegram numbers on Chakshu (Sanchar Saathi) and to the app.
  5. 5Ignore anyone who offers to 'recover' your money for a fee — that is a second scam.

Exceptions & limits

  • If you let fraudsters use your bank account or UPI to move money, even for a commission, your account can be frozen and you may face a police case.
  • If you really worked for a genuine company and it didn't pay you, that is a salary dispute, not a scam.

Official legal reference

  • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Section 318(4)

    Cheating someone into handing over money or property: up to 7 years' jail and fine.

    Earlier: IPC Section 420Read the official text

  • Information Technology Act, 2000 — Section 66D

    Cheating by pretending to be someone else using a phone or computer: up to 3 years' jail and fine.

    Read the official text

Where to get help

National Cyber Crime Helpline

Report online financial fraud immediately so the money trail can be frozen.

Call 1930cybercrime.gov.in

Sanchar Saathi

Report fraud calls/SMS (Chakshu), block a lost phone (CEIR), check SIMs in your name.

sancharsaathi.gov.in

Source & status

Applies to
All of India
Law in force since
1 Jul 2024
Legal review
Draft — awaiting lawyer review

Educational information, not legal advice for your case. Exact facts and the law that applies matter — speak to a lawyer before acting.

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