Common situations

Loan or Credit Card Recovery Agent Harassment

Applies when a bank or NBFC's loan or credit-card recovery agent contacts a borrower outside permitted hours, uses threats or abusive language, or approaches the borrower's family, employer or neighbours. RBI treats an outsourced recovery agent's misconduct as the lender's own misconduct.

Steps

1. Confirm the calling-hours and conduct rules that apply
Under RBI's Fair Practices Code, reinforced by RBI's August 2022 circular on recovery agent conduct (RBI/2022-23/108), a lender and its recovery agents may not call, message or visit a borrower or guarantor before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m., and may not use intimidation, publicly humiliate the borrower, or contact family members, referees or neighbours as a pressure tactic.
2. Record every instance of the contact
Note the date, time, phone number, the agent's name or ID (if given), and what was said or done. Keep call logs, message screenshots, and, where safe to do so, recordings -- these become the evidence for a written complaint.
3. Send a written complaint to the lender's own grievance/nodal officer first
Every RBI-regulated bank and NBFC must have a designated Grievance Redressal Officer or Nodal Officer, whose contact details appear on the lender's website and statements. RBI's Fair Practices Code requires the lender to acknowledge and respond to such a complaint.
4. Allow the lender a reasonable period to respond
If there is no response, or an unsatisfactory response, within 30 days of the complaint, it becomes eligible for escalation to the RBI Ombudsman.
5. File a complaint with the RBI's Complaint Management System (CMS)
A complaint against a bank, NBFC or payment system participant regulated by the RBI can be filed online at cms.rbi.org.in under the Reserve Bank -- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026, once the lender's own 30-day window has passed or the reply is unsatisfactory.
6. If the entity is not RBI-regulated, use the Sachet portal instead
Many harassment complaints involve unlicensed digital lending apps that are not RBI-regulated and so fall outside the Ombudsman Scheme. Such entities can be reported at sachet.rbi.org.in, which routes the complaint to the relevant state or central authority.
7. File a police complaint where the conduct is itself an offence
Threats, abusive language or intimidation intended to cause fear can amount to criminal intimidation under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (the successor to Sections 503/506/507 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code).
8. Preserve the record of both complaints
Keep the RBI CMS or Sachet reference number and any police complaint acknowledgment/FIR copy -- these are required if the matter later proceeds to the Ombudsman's compensation stage or to a civil court.

RBI Complaint Management System (Integrated Ombudsman): https://cms.rbi.org.in

Helpline: 14448 (RBI toll-free, 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. working days)

Good to know

Handled by: The lender's own Grievance Redressal/Nodal Officer, then the RBI Ombudsman

Who can use this: A borrower, co-borrower or guarantor being contacted by a bank, NBFC, or their outsourced recovery agent over a loan or credit card dues

This does not cover: This does not cover a genuine dispute over how much is actually owed, or a lender's right to recall a loan and pursue lawful recovery -- these rules govern only the MANNER of recovery, not whether the debt is validly due. It also does not cover a complaint against an unlicensed, unregistered lender, which falls to the Sachet portal and the police rather than the RBI Ombudsman.

Time limit: A complaint to the RBI Ombudsman must generally be filed within 90 days of the expiry of the lender's 30-day response window, or of its last communication on the complaint, whichever is later. (Reserve Bank -- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 (effective 1 July 2026))

Cost: Filing a complaint with the lender, the RBI CMS, or the police carries no fee.

You'll need:

The lender's name and loan/credit card account number
Dates, times and content of each harassing contact
The recovery agent's name or ID, if provided
Copy of the complaint already sent to the lender and its reply, if any

Documents that help:

Loan or credit card statement
Call logs / message screenshots / recordings
Copy of the written complaint to the lender's grievance officer
The lender's reply, or proof that no reply was received within 30 days

What happens after: The RBI Ombudsman investigates the complaint, may seek the lender's response, and can pass an award directing the lender to stop the offending conduct and pay compensation. A police complaint proceeds through investigation and, if warranted, prosecution, independently of the RBI process.

Legal remedies available

These are the remedies Indian law provides for this kind of situation -- not a recommendation, and not every remedy will apply to your own facts.

Grievance complaint to the lender

The lender's own Grievance Redressal/Nodal Officer

RBI's Fair Practices Code requires every regulated lender to have a designated officer who must acknowledge and respond to a borrower's written complaint.

RBI Ombudsman complaint

Reserve Bank -- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021

Can direct the lender to remedy the conduct and award compensation up to Rs 1 lakh for harassment/mental anguish and up to Rs 20 lakh for consequential loss.

Sachet portal complaint

sachet.rbi.org.in

For entities that are not RBI-regulated, this routes the complaint to the relevant state or central regulator.

Criminal complaint for intimidation or harassment

Local police

Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 penalises criminal intimidation, applicable where the conduct crosses into a genuine threat.

Common questions

Can a recovery agent call me before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.?

No. RBI's Fair Practices Code and the RBI (Managing Risks in Outsourcing) Directions, 2025 prohibit a lender or its recovery agent from calling, messaging or visiting a borrower or guarantor outside the 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. window.

Is the bank responsible if it outsources recovery to a third-party agency?

Yes. RBI treats the conduct of an outsourced recovery agent as the lender's own conduct, and holds the bank or NBFC responsible for the agent's misconduct regardless of the outsourcing arrangement.

Can a recovery agent visit my workplace or contact my employer?

RBI's code of conduct requires recovery efforts to respect privacy and avoid contacting third parties such as employers, neighbours or family members as a means of pressure, though a lender may still contact a guarantor who is legally liable on the loan.

What should I do first if I am being harassed?

Document each instance of the contact, then send a written complaint to the lender's own Grievance Redressal or Nodal Officer -- this is the first, mandatory step before escalating to the RBI.

How long does the lender have to respond to my complaint?

If the lender does not respond, or responds unsatisfactorily, within 30 days, the complaint can be escalated to the RBI's Complaint Management System.

What can the RBI Ombudsman actually do?

The Ombudsman can direct the lender to remedy the grievance and award compensation of up to Rs 3 lakh for loss of time, expenses and mental anguish, and up to Rs 30 lakh for any consequential financial loss.

Can I file a police complaint against a recovery agent?

Yes, where the conduct amounts to a criminal offence -- for example, threats or intimidation intended to cause fear can be reported as criminal intimidation under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

What if the lender is an app that is not a registered bank or NBFC?

Complaints against entities that are not RBI-regulated fall outside the Ombudsman Scheme; such entities can instead be reported on the Sachet portal (sachet.rbi.org.in) and to the police.

Does this apply to credit card recovery, or only loans?

The same Fair Practices Code and outsourcing rules apply to recovery of dues on any credit facility extended by an RBI-regulated bank or NBFC, including credit cards.

Can harassment by a recovery agent affect my legal obligation to repay the loan?

No. The rules govern only the manner of recovery; they do not extinguish a genuine, validly-due debt, which the borrower remains legally obliged to repay.

Can a recovery agent take possession of my goods or property themselves?

A recovery agent has no independent legal power to seize property; lawfully taking possession of secured property requires the separate process set out in the SARFAESI Act, 2002, where applicable, not self-help by an agent.

Governing law: RBI Fair Practices Code and (Managing Risks in Outsourcing) Directions, 2025

Source: RBI Master Circular on Fair Practices Code, 2015, reinforced by the RBI (Managing Risks in Outsourcing) Directions, 2025; Reserve Bank -- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026 (in force from 1 July 2026, superseding the 2021 Scheme); Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, s.351.

Aadhrix does not decide which route applies to you. This describes the official process as published — consider an advocate for advice specific to your situation.

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