Cyber Crime Complaint under IT Act and BNS

Introduction

India's cyber-fraud reporting now runs through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (1930 helpline + cybercrime.gov.in), supplemented by a local Cyber Crime Cell. Money recovery depends on speed — the first 24 hours typically determine whether the receiving bank can freeze the funds before they are layered through mule accounts. The complaint must therefore be specific, sectionally precise, and immediately actionable.

When to Use This Prompt

• Financial fraud through UPI, net-banking or cards.
• Identity theft, account takeover, deepfake or impersonation.
• Online sexual exploitation, sextortion, or non-consensual intimate imagery.
• Defamation, harassment, or obscene content circulated online.

Statutory & Case-Law Backdrop

IT Act, 2000 — Section 43 (penalty for damage), 66 (computer-related offences), 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation), 66E (privacy violation), 67/67A/67B (obscene material). BNS, 2023 — corresponding cheating, forgery and stalking provisions. Section 79 + IT Rules 2021 — intermediary takedown. Section 102 CrPC / Section 106 BNSS — power of police to seize/freeze. Lalita Kumari (2014) 2 SCC 1 — mandatory FIR registration in cognizable offences.

The Prompt

Paste into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Replace every bracketed placeholder with your specific facts before generating.

Draft a cyber crime complaint to be filed on cybercrime.gov.in and before the Cyber Crime Cell at [CITY] by [COMPLAINANT] in respect of offences committed by [KNOWN / UNKNOWN PERSON] on [DATE], through [PLATFORM / MODE].

Inputs:
- Nature of offence: [PHISHING / IDENTITY THEFT / SEXTORTION / FRAUD / DEFAMATION / OBSCENE CONTENT]
- Loss suffered: [AMOUNT TRANSFERRED, REPUTATIONAL HARM]
- Digital footprints available: [UPI ID, BANK ACCOUNT, URL, IP, SCREENSHOTS, CALL RECORDS]
- Sections invoked: [IT ACT 66/66C/66D/67 / BNS / OTHER]
- Immediate relief sought: [ACCOUNT FREEZE, URL TAKEDOWN]

Structure: heading, complainant and respondent details, chronology, sectional mapping (IT Act + BNS where applicable), digital evidence schedule (with hash where possible), immediate reliefs (freeze under Section 102 CrPC / Section 106 BNSS, takedown under Section 79), prayer for FIR registration under Lalita Kumari (2014). Annex bank statement and screenshots.

Anatomy of the Draft

Why the prompt is built the way it is — section by section.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ×Delaying portal complaint beyond 24 hours — chargeback window closes.
• ×Mentioning only IT Act sections; BNS counterparts strengthen the FIR.
• ×Generic 'unknown persons' complaint without preserving UPI IDs / VPAs.
• ×Not requesting account freeze in writing — banks need a specific instruction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

In cyber matters, every hour matters. File on the portal, demand a bank freeze, preserve every screenshot — and let the FIR follow on the same documentary spine.