Government brings new facility: Will we get money back at home after online fraud? Know how the new system will work

New Delhi. “Money was withdrawn from my account by fraud, can I get it back now?” This question often arises in the minds of millions of people who are victims of cyber fraud. Till now, after filing the complaint in such cases, the victims had to wait for a long time between the bank, police and legal processes. Many times, despite the accused’s account being frozen, it took months to get the money back.

To reduce this problem, the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Center (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has Mobile Restoration Module (MRM) is introduced. It has been linked to the National Cyber ​​Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The government claims that this new digital system can make the process of refund of money stuck in cyber fraud cases easier and faster.

Why was the new system necessary?

India is rapidly moving towards digital economy. The increasing use of UPI payments, net banking, e-commerce and social media has connected crores of people online. But with digital facilities the threat of cyber crimes has also increased rapidly.

Now fraud is not limited to just OTP or bank calls. New methods like digital arrest, fake investment schemes, part-time job scams, fake KYC updates, fake customer care and social media impersonation are emerging. In such a situation, even if the money was tracked and frozen in the bank account in time, the process of getting it back was quite complicated. MRM is being considered as the solution to this problem.

What is Mobile Restoration Module (MRM)?

Mobile Restoration Module is an online refund system developed by I4C. Its purpose is to make digital and easy the process of returning the amount frozen during cyber fraud to the victim.

Through this module, the victim will now be able to file online refund request sitting at home. This means that the need for frequent trips between banks, police and other departments can be reduced.

Will every victim get their money back?

However, this feature will not work in every case. To get the money back, two important conditions must be fulfilled.

First condition: A complaint should have been lodged immediately as soon as the fraud took place. For this, it is considered necessary to call 1930 cyber helpline or lodge a complaint on the NCRP portal.

Second condition: The amount of fraud may have been traced to the criminal’s bank account and frozen in time. If the money has been transferred to other accounts or withdrawn, a refund may be difficult.

Experts say that the first few minutes are very important in cases of cyber fraud. The sooner the complaint is made, the greater the possibility of the amount being frozen.

Important role of communication partner also

While MRM is focused on recovering the money stuck after the fraud, the second initiative of the government communication partner Works to prevent cyber crime and curb mobile based fraud.

Under this initiative of the Department of Telecommunications, fake SIM cards, stolen mobiles and suspicious mobile connections are identified. The government had launched Sanchar Sathi’s mobile app on January 17, 2025, so that people can better handle their digital identity and mobile security.

How much is the government spending on cyber security?

In view of the continuous increase in cyber crimes, the Central Government has also increased the budget of the national cyber security agency CERT-In. In the last four years, a budget of Rs 255 crore to Rs 277 crore was allocated for it.

In the financial year 2025-26, this amount reached Rs 277 crore, while a provision of Rs 269 crore has been made for 2026-27. According to the government, this budget is used for monitoring cyber attacks, security alerts, security of digital infrastructure and quick response to cyber incidents.