Bank Fraud Hit You? ₹0 Liability in 3 Days

If money is stolen from your bank account, RBI rules protect you — but only if you act fast. Report fraud within 3 days and your bank must refund every rupee. Wait longer and you may share the loss.

Here's what happened: RBI rules create a zero-liability window: if you report unauthorised account transactions within 3 working days of the bank's alert, your bank must refund the full stolen amount.. The refund cap rises the longer you delay — waiting 4 to 7 days means you bear between ₹5,000 and ₹25,000 of the loss depending on your account type.. If the breach was caused by sharing your OTP, PIN, or credentials — even under social engineering — the bank can reject the refund claim entirely under current RBI guidelines..

What you should do: Call your bank's 24x7 fraud helpline immediately and follow up with 1930 (National Cyber Crime helpline) to file a cyber fraud report on the same day you spot an unauthorised transaction.. File a written complaint at your branch or through net banking's grievance portal within 3 working days and keep a timestamped copy — this is your proof that you met the RBI deadline.. Check your registered mobile number with the bank is active and receiving SMS alerts — zero-liability protection is triggered from the date of the bank's alert, so missing that SMS costs you time..

Ask the bank for a 'provisional credit' within 10 working days — RBI mandates banks credit the disputed amount to your account while the investigation is still ongoing, so you are not left cashless for months.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.