Bank accounts are often frozen when money from a cyber fraud passes through them, even if the account holder did nothing wrong. The request usually comes from a police station, sometimes in another state, under its power to seize property connected with an offence (Section 106 of the BNSS).
Step by step
- Ask the bank, in writing, for the name of the police station or agency that asked for the freeze, and the reference number of its request.
- Collect proof of where the money came from: invoices, contracts, messages, statements.
- Write to the investigating officer with those documents, asking that the freeze be lifted or limited to the disputed amount.
- If the police do not respond, apply to the court that has jurisdiction for release of the account.
- Keep using a separate account for salary and daily needs in the meantime, where possible.
If you lost money to fraud
Call the 1930 helpline at once and report it on the national cyber crime portal. The faster the report, the better the chance that the money is held before it moves further.
This note is general information. Every case is different; speak to a lawyer about yours.
This article is general information on the law as it stood on the date shown, not legal advice on any particular matter.