Rental deposit scam complaint: step-by-step process

By Advocate Panchanand Shaw, Bar Council of West Bengal · Published 2 Nov 2026 · Court process

To file a rental deposit scam complaint, report to the 1930 helpline or cybercrime.gov.in within 48 hours, then give your bank a written freeze request, and file an FIR under Section 173 BNSS at the police station that has jurisdiction. The freeze request should come first, before the FIR.

The order matters. A bank freeze request filed after the money has been withdrawn is much less useful than one filed the same day. A police complaint filed without the cybercrime acknowledgement number is slower to process. This guide sets out the sequence, the documents, and the points at which a complaint is usually returned for more information.

What the law says

Section 66D of the IT Act, 2000 covers cheating by personation using a computer resource. Section 66C covers identity theft where a forged document is used. Under the BNS 2023, Section 318 covers cheating and Section 318(4) covers cheating that induces delivery of property. Section 336 covers forgery of documents, including fake ownership papers and rent agreements.

Section 173 BNSS requires the police to register an FIR on information disclosing a cognizable offence. Section 175(3) BNSS allows a magistrate to order an investigation if the police refuse. Section 187 BNSS governs the investigation report. Section 480 BNSS provides for victim compensation. Section 63 BSA governs the proof of electronic records, which is why the listing, chat, and payment link should be preserved in a usable form.

Step-by-step complaint process

Secure the listing and the chat. Before you call anyone, save the listing URL, the photographs, the fraudster's profile, and the full chat. If the listing is deleted while you are filing, the screenshot is your only record.
Call 1930. Give the transaction ID, the UPI reference, the amount, the time, and the beneficiary account details from your bank statement. The helpline can raise a freeze request to the beneficiary bank. Note the complaint or ticket number.
Register on cybercrime.gov.in. Choose the financial fraud category and upload the chat, the payment proof, the listing screenshot, and your bank statement. Save the acknowledgement number. This number is what the police and the bank will ask for.
Write to your bank's nodal officer. Send an email with the cybercrime acknowledgement number and a clear request: freeze the beneficiary account and initiate a chargeback. Attach the transaction details. Keep the email and the bank's reply.
Draft the written police complaint. Keep it to one or two pages. State the facts in date order, identify the listing and the payment, name the offence sections, and list the documents attached. Avoid argument and avoid speculation about the fraudster's identity.
File the FIR at the police station. Carry the online complaint printout, the written complaint, the bank statement, the chat printout, and your identity proof. Under Section 173 BNSS, the police must register the FIR if the information discloses a cognizable offence. Ask for a copy of the FIR and the FIR number.
If the FIR is refused, approach the magistrate. Ask for the refusal in writing. Under Section 175(3) BNSS, file a complaint before the magistrate, who can order an investigation. Attach the refused complaint, the cybercrime acknowledgement, and the evidence.
Follow up on the investigation. Under Section 187 BNSS, the investigating officer must complete the investigation and submit a report. Ask for the status at reasonable intervals. If the account is frozen, ask the bank for the freeze confirmation in writing.

Documents and where to get them

Document	Purpose	Where to get it
Bank statement	Shows the debit, the UPI reference and the beneficiary	Bank app, branch or passbook
UPI transaction details	Identifies the payment and the handle	Payment app history
Chat transcript	Shows the impersonation and the deposit demand	Messaging app export or screenshots
Listing screenshots	Shows the property, rent and contact details	Saved before the listing is deleted
Fake ID or document	Supports the impersonation and forgery allegations	The chat or email where it was sent
Written complaint	Gives the police a clear statement of facts	Drafted by the complainant
Identity proof	Required for the FIR and the bank complaint	Aadhaar, passport or voter card

What decides whether the complaint is registered

The first factor is whether the complaint identifies a cognizable offence. A complaint that says only that a deposit was not refunded reads like a civil dispute. A complaint that says the listing was fake, the identity document was forged, and the payment went to an account in a different name identifies Section 66D IT Act and Section 318 BNS. The difference is in the facts, not in the legal language.

The second factor is jurisdiction. The FIR is usually registered where the victim resides, where the payment was made, or where the property is located. If the fraudster's account is in another state, the investigating officer must send a request to that state. The complaint should state the victim's address and the property address clearly so that jurisdiction is not a reason for delay.

The third factor is the quality of the documents. A bank statement with the UPI reference is essential. A chat printout without the profile URL is weaker. A listing screenshot without the URL is weaker still. The complaint should attach the documents in a numbered list so the officer can see what is available.

The fourth factor is the amount. A small deposit may be handled through the bank chargeback route and a closure report. A larger amount, or a series of complaints against the same account, is more likely to get an investigating officer assigned. The amount also affects whether a civil suit is worth the cost.

The fifth factor is speed. A complaint filed while the listing is live and the account is active gives the police a chance to act. A complaint filed after the account is closed and the listing is deleted is harder to investigate. The 1930 call and the online complaint should be made on the same day as the discovery.

What the police will ask you

The investigating officer works from a standard set of questions. Knowing them in advance lets you prepare a complaint that is complete on the first visit. The officer will ask when you first saw the listing, how you contacted the person, what was said about the property and the deposit, how much you paid, when you paid, and through which app or bank. The officer will also ask whether you visited the property and whether you have any document from the person who claimed to be the owner.

The officer will want the listing URL, the profile name and the phone number. A complaint that provides these three identifiers is easier to act on than one that provides only a name. The officer may ask for the original device so that the chat can be examined. If you cannot hand over the device, provide a copy and keep the original. The officer may also ask whether you have contacted the platform and what the platform said.

The officer will ask about other payments. If you sent a token and then a larger deposit, both transactions should be listed with their reference numbers. If you paid through different apps or bank accounts, each one needs its own entry. A consolidated chronology with amounts, times and reference numbers saves the officer from reconstructing the sequence. The officer may also ask whether you know other victims; a pattern of complaints is useful evidence.

The officer will ask whether you have any reason to believe the person is genuine. If you received a rent agreement, an identity document or a receipt, bring it. Those documents may be forged, and the officer can send them for examination. If you did not receive any document, say so plainly. A complaint that overstates the evidence is harder to investigate than one that states exactly what is available.

If the bank does not act

Banks sometimes reject a chargeback because the customer authorised the payment. That is a common response in a rental deposit scam, where the victim voluntarily transferred the money. The rejection is not the end of the process. The customer can ask for the rejection in writing, escalate to the bank's nodal officer, and then to the RBI's grievance redressal mechanism. The cybercrime complaint number and the FIR number should be included in every escalation.

The bank's obligation under the RBI's directions on unauthorised transactions is to investigate and to determine liability. The directions distinguish between a transaction the customer authorised and one the customer did not authorise. A payment induced by fraud is a grey area, which is why the evidence of impersonation matters. If the bank treats the payment as authorised, the criminal complaint and the civil suit become the routes to recovery.

A written rejection from the bank is also useful evidence. It shows that the bank was informed and that the customer pursued the remedy. In a civil suit, the rejection helps establish that the loss was caused by the fraud and that the victim took reasonable steps. In the criminal case, it supports the argument that the payment was induced by deception rather than made voluntarily with knowledge of the facts.

Common mistakes

Filing the police complaint before the 1930 complaint. The freeze request is time-sensitive and should come first.
Attaching a folder of random screenshots instead of a chronological set with the profile URL.
Not mentioning the impersonation or the fake document, which makes the complaint look civil.
Filing at a police station that has no jurisdiction and then losing time on a transfer.
Not keeping a copy of the FIR and the acknowledgement numbers.
Waiting for the bank to refund without following up on the chargeback request.
Confronting the fraudster before filing, which gives him time to close the account.

When to involve a lawyer

The initial 1930 call and the online complaint do not need a lawyer. A lawyer is useful when the police refuse to register the FIR, when the complaint is returned for more information, when the amount justifies a civil suit, or when you are defending a complaint as a genuine landlord or agent. For the criminal side, see criminal defense; for a consultation on the forum and the documents, use the contact page.

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Frequently asked questions

Where do I file a rental deposit scam complaint?

Start with the 1930 helpline and cybercrime.gov.in for the financial fraud, then file an FIR at the police station with jurisdiction over your residence, the payment or the property. If the police refuse, approach the magistrate under Section 175(3) BNSS. Keep copies of every acknowledgement number.

What documents do I need for a rental deposit scam complaint?

Carry your bank statement showing the debit and UPI reference, the payment app transaction details, the full chat with the fraudster, the listing screenshots and URL, any fake identity document sent to you, a written complaint, and your identity proof. Attach them in a numbered list to the written complaint.

How long does it take to register a rental deposit scam FIR?

If the complaint discloses a cognizable offence, the FIR should be registered promptly under Section 173 BNSS. In practice, the time depends on the police station and the clarity of the documents. A written complaint with a numbered document list is usually processed faster than an oral complaint.

Can the police treat a rental deposit scam as a civil dispute?

They sometimes do, especially where there was a real listing and a payment. The presence of a fake listing, a forged identity document or a payment to an account in a different name makes it criminal under Section 66D IT Act and Section 318 BNS. The complaint should state those facts clearly.

What happens after I file the FIR?

The investigating officer takes up the investigation and may send requests to the bank and the platform. Under Section 187 BNSS, the officer must complete the investigation and submit a report. You can ask for the status at reasonable intervals and keep a copy of the FIR.

Can I file the complaint online without going to a police station?

You can register the financial fraud complaint on cybercrime.gov.in and call 1930. For an FIR, you generally need to go to the police station or use the state police's online complaint facility where available. The online acknowledgement is not a substitute for the FIR. The online acknowledgement is only the first step.

Do I need a lawyer to file the complaint?

Not for the initial 1930 call and the online complaint. A lawyer helps when the police refuse to register the FIR, when the complaint is returned for more information, when the amount justifies a civil suit, or when you are defending a complaint as a genuine landlord.

Information for general guidance only and not legal advice. Provisions cited follow the Information Technology Act 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023.

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