A fake "cyber cell" or recovery agent offers to get your scammed money back
After losing money to a UPI, trading-app, task or "digital arrest" scam, someone posing as a "cyber cell", CBI/RBI/I4C officer, lawyer or recovery agent promises to get your money back — for an upfront fee. It is the next scam, using a victim list.
Also known as: fund recovery scam India, fake cyber cell refund scam, cyber crime money recovery agent fraud
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
- ! If you installed any "support", "server", "refund", or remote-access app at their request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.): disconnect the internet now, then run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
What to do right now
- 1 Treat any unsolicited 'recovery' call, WhatsApp or Telegram offer as a second scam targeting you
- 2 No government body — police, cyber cell, CBI, RBI or I4C — charges a fee to recover scammed money or refers you to private 'recovery agents'. Never pay anything upfront
- 3 A genuine lawyer takes a case through a written engagement, never an UPI 'fee' from an unknown number
- 4 Block the number and leave any 'recovery' WhatsApp or Telegram group
- 5 If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
- 6 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Was remote-access software installed?
If a scammer asked you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, or any remote-access app, your device may still be compromised.
Run SeraphSecure to detect and remove it →Red flags
- ⚠ They contact you out of the blue and already know which scam you lost money to
- ⚠ They claim to be a 'cyber cell', CBI, ED, RBI or I4C officer, a court, or a private recovery agent who can get your money back
- ⚠ An upfront 'processing fee', 'GST', 'court fee', 'security deposit' or 'commission' is demanded by UPI or bank transfer before any recovery
- ⚠ They guarantee 100% recovery — no real agency or lawyer ever guarantees this
- ⚠ They ask you to install AnyDesk or Quick Support to 'process the refund'
- ⚠ Your number was likely sold on a victim list after the first scam
If you were scammed once in India, your number and details are often sold on victim lists circulated among scammer networks. A “recovery” offer is the standard follow-up — it preys on the desperation of someone who just lost money.
The legitimate path: report the original fraud at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 as soon as possible (within the “golden hour” the chance of a freeze is highest). Tell your bank. No police unit, cyber cell, CBI, RBI or I4C ever calls to “recover” money for an upfront fee, and none refer victims to private paid agents. Anyone asking you to pay first — by UPI, bank transfer, “GST”, “court fee” or gift voucher — is the next scam.
Known variants
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Fake crypto recovery specialist: poses as blockchain forensic analyst, claims to reverse fraudulent transactions. Demands FEMA fee, tracing fee, or legal retainer upfront. India recovery rate below 0.2% — no private agent can reverse on-chain transactions.
Last seen: 5/22/2026
Sources
- I4C / MHA — Cyber Crime helpline & advisories
- RBI Sachet — Beware of fake fund-recovery agents
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
- PIB Fact Check — Fake refund / recovery scams
- RTI Wiki — Crypto Scam Recovery in India: 2026 Playbook
- CryptoTimes — Crypto Scam Losses in India Surpassed ₹3 Cr in the 1st Week of May 2026