Cyber law covers online financial fraud (UPI/OTP scams, card fraud), hacking and unauthorised access, identity theft, cyberstalking and online harassment, data breaches, and image-based abuse. The primary statute is the Information Technology Act, 2000 (as amended in 2008), which criminalises unauthorised access, data theft, identity fraud, and publishing obscene or harmful content online, often alongside relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for related offences like cheating or defamation.
The Government of India runs a National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and a helpline (1930) specifically for reporting financial fraud quickly, since banks can sometimes freeze fraudulently transferred funds if reported within hours. Every city also has a dedicated Cyber Cell within its police department for investigating these offences, and a formal FIR can be registered for cognizable cyber offences in addition to, or instead of, the online portal complaint.
Speed matters more in cyber cases than almost any other area — reporting financial fraud within the first few hours meaningfully improves the chance of recovering funds, and preserving evidence (screenshots, transaction IDs, message logs) before it disappears is critical. A lawyer can help if the police complaint isn't progressing, if you need to pursue civil recovery or damages separately, or if you're responding to being wrongly accused of a cyber offence.