By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi, India, August 20 (ANI): If a fraud complaint has resulted in an eligible amount being held in a beneficiary’s or scammer’s account, victims can submit a restoration request to the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to seek recovery of the funds in accordance with applicable legal procedures.
Victims can report the fraud and submit a restoration request through the Money Restoration Module (MRM), launched by the I4C, an attached office of the MHA established in New Delhi to combat cybercrime. The module allows cyber fraud victims to apply online to recover and restore frozen or held funds in beneficiary accounts without visiting government or bank offices.
“If the victim’s money is held after a cyber fraud and the cyber fraud complaint has resulted in an eligible amount being held in the beneficiary’s bank account, he or she can submit a restoration request through the Money Restoration Module (MRM) launched by I4C, MHA,” officials associated with the division told ANI.
Explaining the process for recovering stolen money, officials in the I4C wing said cybercrime victims who have filed a complaint through the 1930 helpline or the cybercrime portal should first visit the MRM website and click on the “Raise Refund Request” tab. They must then enter the 14-digit National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) acknowledgment ID received when the complaint was registered and verify it using a one-time password (OTP).
The victim will then be shown the refund account details under the “Refund Account Details” tab, where the recovered amount will be credited. Officials said victims must enter the correct bank account details for the account where the refunded amount is to be credited.
If the victim has a court order, it should be uploaded using the “Select Court Order” option. The victim should also submit a copy of their PAN card, enter the captcha and submit the request.
“A request ID of 14 digits will be generated and sent to the complainant’s mobile and email. The I4C wing suggests the 14-digit ID should be noted by the victim for future reference and that all details provided are accurate. It also pointed out that incorrect information may delay or result in rejection of the restoration process,” officials said.
Victims should then wait for an SMS or email notifying them that an eligible amount has been identified for restoration. They can log in to the MRM portal using their 14-digit NCRP acknowledgment number and OTP, verify their complaint details, refund account information and the amount eligible for restoration, and submit the required information.
Victims must upload their PAN card, enter their bank account details and submit the request to receive a Unique Request Number (URN) for tracking. An indemnity bond must also be submitted to the police. The restoration process will then proceed in accordance with applicable legal procedures, officials explained.
According to updated data compiled by the MHA and recently shared by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar in the Rajya Sabha, more than Rs. 11,158 crore has been saved across more than 3.28 million complaints through June 30.
The minister cited data from the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) under the I4C. The CFCFRMS was launched in 2021 to enable the immediate reporting of financial fraud and prevent fraudsters from siphoning off funds.
As part of its continued efforts against cybercriminals, the minister also said the I4C had blocked more than 277,053 illegal and fraudulent apps, content, websites, email accounts, URLs and links across various platforms through the “Sahyog” portal and proactive action involving concerned IT intermediaries.
To facilitate the removal or disabling of access to information, data or communication links being used to commit unlawful acts, the MHA launched the “Sahyog” portal in 2024. The portal expedites the process of sending notices to IT intermediaries by the appropriate government authority or its agency under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The portal brings authorized agencies across the country and intermediaries together on a single platform to facilitate immediate action against unlawful online information. It aims to help create a safer cyberspace for citizens.
As of June 30, 2026, a total of 3,718 mobile apps, including fraudulent loan apps, had also been blocked by the I4C under Sections 69A and 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, according to another written reply by the minister in the Lok Sabha on Aug. 11.
The MHA said the I4C also launched a suspect registry of identifiers linked to cybercriminals on Sept. 10, 2024, in collaboration with banks and financial institutions. More than 3.048 million suspect identifiers received from banks and 3.208 million Layer 1 mule accounts have been shared with participating entities in the suspect registry. Transactions worth Rs. 25,698 crore had been declined through the system as of June 30, 2026.
The minister also said that more than 1.575 million SIM cards and 577,000 International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers, as reported by police authorities, had been blocked by the central government through June 30, 2026.
The MHA supplements the efforts of states and union territories by providing policy guidance, technological support, capacity-building assistance and financial resources to strengthen cybercrime management and enforcement capabilities.
The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform, known as the “CyTrain” portal, has been developed under the I4C to build the capacity of police and judicial officers through online courses covering critical aspects of cybercrime investigation, forensics and prosecution.
As of June 30, more than 163,344 police and judicial officers from states and union territories were registered on the platform, while more than 161,957 certificates had been issued.
The Cyber Commando program was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sept. 10, 2024, to establish a specialized wing of cyber commandos trained to counter cybersecurity threats in the country.
The program envisions creating a dedicated, skilled workforce capable of securing critical information infrastructure and supporting national cybersecurity efforts. A total of 281 cyber commandos have completed training.
The I4C also regularly organizes “State Connect,” “Thana Connect,” “Bank Connect” and peer-learning sessions to share best practices and strengthen capacity building. (ANI)
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