Common situations

Report a Suspected Fraud Call, SMS, or WhatsApp Message

Chakshu, a facility on the Department of Telecommunications' Sanchar Saathi portal, lets you report a suspected fraud call, SMS, or WhatsApp message -- including a fake 'digital arrest' call -- before any money is lost, so it can be investigated and the number blocked for others.

Steps

1. Confirm this is the right route.
Chakshu is for a call, SMS, or WhatsApp message you suspect is fraudulent -- impersonation, a fake investigation/arrest threat, a phishing link, or an unsolicited commercial/spam message sent against your consent. If money has ALREADY been taken from you, go to cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 instead -- that is the route for a loss that's already happened, not this one.
2. Do not engage further with the caller/sender.
Do not pay any amount, do not share an OTP, and do not stay on a video call under pressure. There is no real legal procedure in India called 'digital arrest' -- courts have repeatedly observed this in the course of ordinary criminal and bail proceedings; it is not a term with any independent legal status. Genuine law enforcement does not interrogate over a phone or video call or demand a money transfer.
3. Go to the Sanchar Saathi portal.
Visit sancharsaathi.gov.in, then under 'Citizen Centric Services' select 'Chakshu -- Report Suspected Fraud Communication'.
4. Fill in the details of the call/message.
You'll need the mobile number that contacted you, the date and approximate time, the medium (Call/SMS/WhatsApp), and the category that best matches it (e.g. impersonation of a government official/bank, a fake lottery/reward, a phishing link).
5. Submit -- no fee, no login required for a basic report.
Chakshu is designed for a quick citizen report, distinct from a full police complaint.
6. Report within 30 days for it to be investigated.
Complaints made within 30 days of the incident are the ones actually investigated, per the portal's own stated process -- report as soon as you can rather than waiting.
7. Separately verify any specific paper or summons through the court/police station's own official number.
Never call a number printed on the suspicious paper itself, or one given to you on the call -- look up the court or station's number yourself, from its own official website.

Chakshu -- Sanchar Saathi (Department of Telecommunications): https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/

Helpline: 1930 (only once money has already been lost -- see does_not_handle)

Good to know

Handled by: Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India

Who can use this: Any mobile subscriber or citizen who has received a suspected fraudulent call, SMS, or WhatsApp message, or an unsolicited commercial communication sent against their consent/registered preference.

This does not cover: Money that has ALREADY been debited or transferred -- that is cybercrime.gov.in/1930's scope, not Chakshu's. Chakshu also does not itself investigate the underlying crime (impersonation, extortion) as a police complaint would -- for that, and for any FIR, go to your local police station or cybercrime.gov.in as well.

Time limit: Report within 30 days of the call/message for it to be investigated. (Sanchar Saathi's own stated Chakshu process)

Cost: Free

You'll need:

The mobile number that contacted you
Date and approximate time of the call/message
Medium -- Call, SMS, or WhatsApp
The category of suspected fraud (impersonation, phishing, fake lottery/reward, etc.) or UCC/spam

Documents that help:

A screenshot of the SMS/WhatsApp message, if available
Call log entry (number and time)
Any link or document sent as part of the message

What happens after: The report is logged against the reported number for investigation; the Department of Telecommunications can act against the number/connection used for the fraud (including disconnection), and repeated reports against the same number help flag it for other citizens too. Chakshu itself does not report back to you on individual investigation outcomes.

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.

Blocking of the fraudulent number/sender

Department of Telecommunications, via the Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi

The Chakshu facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal allows the Department of Telecommunications to act against a reported mobile number or sender used for a suspected fraud communication, including disconnection and blacklisting the number under the Department's own telecom cybersecurity framework, so it cannot be reused against others.

Criminal complaint for attempted cheating or criminal intimidation

Local police station or Zero FIR at any police station

Where the caller or message threatened the recipient or attempted to induce them to part with money or information, an attempt to cheat under Section 318 read with Section 62 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or criminal intimidation under Section 351, may apply even though no money was actually lost -- a police complaint can be filed regardless of the outcome of the attempt.

Escalation once money is actually lost

cybercrime.gov.in / 1930

If the suspected fraud later results in an actual loss of money or data, the matter shifts from this reporting-only route to a full cyber fraud complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the 1930 helpline, which carries its own investigation and, for a bank-linked loss, RBI's own limited-liability compensation framework.

Common questions

I already sent money -- should I still use Chakshu?

No, use cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 instead -- that route is specifically for a loss that has already happened and works to trace/freeze the money. Chakshu is for reporting a suspected fraud call/message before or without any money having been sent.

Is a 'digital arrest' video call ever real?

No. There is no legal procedure in India called 'digital arrest' -- courts have repeatedly observed this in the course of ordinary criminal and bail proceedings. Genuine police, CBI, or ED investigations are never conducted by keeping someone on a video call, and never demand a money transfer to 'verify' or 'clear' anything.

The message came from what looks like an official number or used real government logos -- doesn't that make it genuine?

No -- caller ID can be spoofed, and fake IDs, forged notices, and official-looking logos are a well-documented part of these scams. The number or logo alone proves nothing; verify independently through the agency's own official website and phone number instead.

Can I report a suspicious call about someone else, or only calls I personally received?

Chakshu's reporting flow is built around the number that contacted you and the details of that specific communication -- it's meant for reporting a communication you yourself received, not a general tip about a number.

A summons or notice was sent to me over WhatsApp -- does that automatically mean it's fake?

No. Section 63(2) of the BNSS explicitly allows a court summons in electronic form, including bearing a digital court seal or signature, and courts including the Bombay High Court (Nagpur bench) have upheld WhatsApp-served summons. Don't assume a paper is fake just because it arrived electronically -- verify it directly with the court using a number you look up yourself.

Governing law: Administered by the Department of Telecommunications under the Telecom Regulatory framework (Sanchar Saathi initiative)

Source: Chakshu, on the Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc), Department of Telecommunications. 'Digital arrest' has no legal standing in India -- courts have repeatedly observed this in the course of ordinary criminal and bail proceedings; it is not a term with any independent legal status; Indian law enforcement never interrogates or demands payment over a phone or video call.

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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