NEW DELHI: The I4C, the cyber wing under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has built an online money restoration module for victims of cyber fraud whose money has been frozen or held in a beneficiary's or suspected scammer’s bank account, officials said on Friday.
The online facility allows eligible victims to initiate the refund process without having to visit government offices or bank branches, but the restoration process would be subject to verification and applicable legal procedures, they said
The officials associated with the cyber wing of the MHA said victims whose complaints have resulted in an eligible amount being held in a beneficiary account can submit a restoration request through the Money Restoration Module (MRM).
“Victims who have reported financial cyber fraud through the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) must first access the MRM and select the “Raise Refund Request” option. They are required to enter the 14-digit NCRP acknowledgement number issued when the complaint was registered and authenticate the request using an OTP,” a senior official said.
“Once verified, the victim can view the account details provided for receiving the refund under the “Refund Account Details” section. Complainants are advised to carefully enter the correct bank account details, as errors could delay or affect the restoration process,” he added.
If a court order is available, it can be uploaded through the “Select Court Order” option, the officials said, adding that applicants must also upload a copy of their PAN card, complete the captcha and submit the request.
After submission, a 14-digit request ID is generated and sent to the complainant’s registered mobile number and email address and victims are advised to preserve the number for future reference and ensure that all information submitted is accurate, they said.
“The process does not mean that every reported loss will automatically be refunded. Victims must wait for an SMS or email confirming that an eligible amount has been identified for restoration. They can then log in using their NCRP acknowledgement number and OTP, verify their complaint and refund-account details, confirm the amount available for restoration, upload the required documents and submit the request,” the official said.
A Unique Request Number (URN) is subsequently generated for tracking, they noted while saying that victims might also be required to submit an indemnity bond to the police, after which the restoration proceeds according to the applicable legal process.
The government’s latest data underscores the scale of financial cybercrime and the response mechanism. According to figures shared by Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar in Parliament, more than Rs 11,158 crore had been saved in over 32.80 lakh complaints through the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) up to June 30, 2026.
Launched in 2021, the CFCFRMS enables the immediate reporting of financial cyber fraud and helps authorities and banks act quickly to prevent fraudulent transfers and the siphoning of funds.
The government has also stepped up action against the wider cybercrime ecosystem. Through the I4C’s Sahyog portal and coordination with technology intermediaries, more than 2.77 lakh fraudulent or illegal apps, websites, URLs, links, email accounts and other online identifiers had been blocked or acted upon by June 30.
Separately, 3,718 mobile applications, including fraudulent loan apps, were blocked under provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The I4C’s suspect registry, launched in September 2024 in collaboration with banks and financial institutions, has also expanded significantly. More than 30.48 lakh suspect identifiers and 32.08 lakh Layer-1 mule accounts had been shared with participating entities, while transactions worth more than Rs 25,698 crore were declined.
Authorities have also blocked over 15.75 lakh SIM cards and 5.77 lakh IMEIs reported by police agencies.
