How to Report Online Harassment in India

Please note: this guide is general information, not legal advice. If you are in immediate danger, call 112 now.

1. Make sure you’re safe first

If someone has threatened to hurt you, knows where you are, or you feel unsafe right now, call 112. Tell someone you trust what is happening. You don’t need to finish the steps below before asking for help.

2. Save the evidence

Before you block anyone, collect what you’ll need for a report:

• screenshots that show the username or profile, the messages and the date and time
• links (URLs) to the profile, post or chat
• any payment details, such as UPI IDs, transaction IDs or bank statements, if money is involved
• emails, phone numbers or other accounts the person used

Keep the originals in a safe folder. Don’t forward or re-upload intimate images or videos, even to prove what happened. Describe them and share the link or a reference instead.

3. Stop engaging, then block

You don’t owe the person a reply. Stop responding, then block the account so it can’t contact you again. If they are threatening to share photos or demanding money, don’t pay: payment rarely ends the threats.

4. Report the account in the app

Most apps let you report a user, message or post from a menu next to it. Choose the closest reason and add a short description. A report asks the platform to review the issue. Blocking and reporting together usually work best.

On BeAnon, you will be able to report a user or message, block them and leave the conversation from the chat. See the Safety Center and the Community Guidelines for how reports are handled.

5. Escalate to the platform’s grievance officer

If the in-app report doesn’t help, platforms operating in India publish contact details for a grievance officer, usually in their terms, privacy policy or help centre. Under India’s IT Rules, 2021, as amended in February 2026, they must acknowledge a complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within 7 days. For content showing nudity, sexual acts or morphed images of you, the rules require platforms to take reasonable steps to remove it within 2 hours of your complaint.

If you disagree with the grievance officer’s decision, you can appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within 30 days. For BeAnon, the deadlines that apply to each type of complaint are set out in our Community Guidelines.

6. File a complaint on the cybercrime portal

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal is the government’s site for reporting cybercrime, with a focus on crimes against women and children. To file most complaints you register with your name and an Indian mobile number, describe what happened and upload your evidence. You’ll receive a complaint reference to track it.

Complaints about child sexual abuse material or rape and gang-rape content can be filed without giving your personal details. You can also go to your nearest police station or cyber cell.

7. If money is involved, call 1930 quickly

For online financial fraud, call 1930, India’s cybercrime helpline, as soon as possible. Quick reporting helps authorities try to stop or freeze the transaction. Also tell your bank and change any passwords or PINs you may have shared.

8. If intimate images are involved

• Report the content to the platform and ask for removal. The 2-hour removal rule described above applies.
• Adults can use StopNCII.org. It creates a digital fingerprint of the image on your device, so the image itself is not uploaded, and participating platforms use it to block matching uploads.
• If the images show someone under 18, don’t save or share them. Report them on cybercrime.gov.in. The Take It Down service run by NCMEC is designed for images taken when someone was under 18.

For more detail on photo threats, read what to do if someone threatens to leak your photos.

9. Look after yourself

Online harassment can be upsetting even when it stays online. Talk to someone you trust, take breaks from the app, and remember that what happened is not your fault. If you are struggling, a doctor or counsellor can help.

FAQ

Can I report cybercrime online in India?

Yes. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in is the government of India’s site for reporting cybercrime, with a particular focus on crimes against women and children. To file most complaints you register with your name and an Indian mobile number, describe what happened and upload your evidence, and you receive a complaint reference you can use to track it. You can also visit your nearest police station or cyber cell in person, and you do not have to choose only one route. If online financial fraud is involved, call 1930 as soon as you can — speed matters most there, because a quick report gives the best chance of freezing a payment before it moves on. If you are in immediate danger, or someone has threatened to hurt you or knows where you are, call 112 first and report afterwards.

What evidence should I keep?

Collect your evidence before you block anyone, because blocking can cut off your access to the conversation. Take screenshots that show the username or profile, the messages themselves, and the date and time — a screenshot of the words alone is much weaker without the account and timestamp visible. Save the links to the profile, post or chat. If money is involved, keep the payment details: UPI IDs, transaction IDs, bank statements and any account numbers they sent. Note any other phone numbers, emails or accounts the person used to contact you. Keep the originals somewhere safe rather than only in the app. One important exception: do not forward or re-upload intimate images or videos, even to prove what happened, because sharing them further can cause harm and create problems of its own. Describe them in your complaint and provide the link or a reference instead.

How quickly must a platform respond to my complaint?

Under India’s IT Rules, 2021, as amended in February 2026, a platform’s grievance officer must acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within 7 days. A shorter deadline applies to the most harmful content: for material showing nudity, sexual acts or morphed images of you, platforms must take reasonable steps to remove it within 2 hours of your complaint. Platforms operating in India publish their grievance officer’s contact details, usually in their terms, privacy policy or help centre, so look there if an in-app report has not been acted on. If you disagree with the grievance officer’s decision, you can appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within 30 days. These deadlines run from when you complain, so note the date and time you submitted it and keep the acknowledgement you receive.

Should I pay someone who is threatening me?

No. Paying rarely stops the threats, and it usually invites more: people who pay once are commonly told the problem has not gone away and asked for a larger amount. The same applies to sending more photos or information in the hope of buying goodwill — it only gives the other person more to threaten you with. You do not owe them a reply at all. Stop responding, then save your evidence before you block: screenshots showing the username, messages and timestamps, links to the profile, and any payment details such as a UPI ID. Block and report the account, and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. If you have already paid, call 1930 as soon as possible, because a fast report gives the best chance of stopping the money moving further. Call 112 if you feel unsafe right now.