Card Stolen? 5 Steps to ₹0 Fraud Liability

If your credit card is stolen, acting fast can save you from paying a single rupee in fraudulent charges. Here are the 5 steps every Indian cardholder must take immediately to block the card, file a complaint, and protect their credit score.

Here's what happened: RBI rules state cardholders have zero liability for fraud IF they report the theft to their bank within 3 working days.. Fraudsters can make contactless or online transactions within seconds of stealing a card — delay costs real money.. Filing a police FIR strengthens your fraud dispute claim and is required by most banks for charge reversal above ₹10,000..

What you should do: Call your bank's 24x7 helpline immediately to block the card — do this before anything else, even before filing a police complaint.. File a written complaint or email to your bank within 3 working days to trigger RBI's zero-liability protection on unauthorised transactions.. File an FIR at your nearest police station and keep a copy — submit it to your bank to fast-track chargeback on fraudulent transactions..

Pro tip: Change your card's CVV-linked online passwords and disable international transactions via your bank app the moment you suspect theft — this blocks online fraud before your call even connects.