How to report a loan app — every official route, in the order that works

The routes, and which one fits your problem

1. 1

   The lender's grievance officer

   Always first, for anything about charges, disclosure or conduct

   Write to the grievance officer named in the loan agreement or on the lender's website. State the facts, the dates, and what you want done. Send it by email so it is dated, and keep a copy. This step starts the 30-day clock.

2. 2

   RBI Sachet — sachet.rbi.org.in

   To report an entity or an unlawful lending practice to the regulator

   Sachet is the RBI's portal for complaints and information about entities that take deposits or lend unlawfully. Give the operating company's name, not just the app brand.

3. 3

   RBI Ombudsman — cms.rbi.org.in

   After 30 days, or after the lender rejects your complaint

   File through the Complaint Management System; complaints reach the RBI's Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre (CRPC). Attach your first complaint, the lender's reply if any, the Key Facts Statement and your bank statement showing what was actually disbursed.

4. 4

   cybercrime.gov.in and helpline 1930

   Immediately, for threats, blackmail, data misuse or public shaming — do not wait 30 days

   Call 1930 when it is urgent and money or safety is at stake, and file online to create the written record. Attach screenshots with visible dates and numbers, and the messages themselves.

5. 5

   Police station or cyber cell

   For criminal intimidation, extortion, obscene messages or morphed images

   Report in person with printed evidence. Threats and misuse of personal data are offences; a police station cannot refuse to register information about a cognisable offence.

6. 6

   Consumer commission

   For deficiency in service or an unfair trade practice — undisclosed charges, for example

   A consumer complaint can be filed against the operating company. It runs in parallel with a regulatory complaint; you do not have to choose one.

You never have to pay anyone to use these channels. Anyone who contacts you privately offering to “settle”, “clear your name” or “stop the calls” for a fee is running a second fraud on someone already under pressure. If you cannot afford a lawyer, free government legal aid is your right under Article 39A — how to apply to your DLSA.

What to attach — the evidence that carries weight

A complaint succeeds on documents, not adjectives. Gather these before you file, and keep the originals:

• • The Key Facts Statement and loan agreement, as they were given to you.
• • Your bank statement line showing the amount actually credited, and the date.
• • The demand messages — with the sender's number and the timestamp visible in the screenshot.
• • Call logs showing frequency and time of day, especially anything before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
• • Any message sent to your employer, family, colleagues or contacts, and how you learned of it.
• • The app's own pages — its rates page, terms and privacy policy — screenshotted and dated, because websites change.

You can keep all of it in one place, encrypted and private to you, in your evidence locker — and generate the complaint from it.

Where do I complain about a loan app in India?

Start with the lender's own grievance officer in writing and keep proof. If it is unresolved after 30 days, escalate to the RBI Ombudsman through the Complaint Management System at cms.rbi.org.in. Report the entity or practice on RBI Sachet at sachet.rbi.org.in. If there are threats, blackmail, or your contacts or images have been misused, that is criminal conduct — report it at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 immediately, without waiting 30 days.

What is the 30-day rule for an RBI complaint?

The RBI Ombudsman scheme expects you to raise the complaint with the regulated entity first. You can escalate once the lender has rejected the complaint, or once 30 days have passed without a reply. Keep the dated copy of your first complaint — it is what starts the clock and what proves you followed the route.

Should I call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in?

Call 1930 when it is urgent — money has just left your account, or you are being threatened or blackmailed right now. The helpline exists to act fast. File at cybercrime.gov.in as well, because that creates the written record with your evidence attached. The two are complementary, not alternatives.

Can I file a police FIR against a loan app?

Yes. Threats, criminal intimidation, extortion, obscene messages, morphed images and the misuse of your personal data are offences, and you can report them at a police station or a cyber cell. A police station cannot refuse to register information about a cognisable offence. Take printed copies of your screenshots, call logs and the loan documents with you.

Does complaining mean I do not have to repay the loan?

No. A complaint challenges unlawful conduct or charges that were never properly disclosed — it does not by itself cancel a genuine debt. Inability to repay is a civil matter, and you cannot be jailed for it, but the lawful part of what you owe remains owed. Separating the two is what makes a complaint credible.

Related pages

• • How to spot an illegal loan app in two minutes
• • The primary-source record — what each brand’s own documents say

Last updated and what changed

Last updated 29 July 2026. Quoted pages read on 29 July 2026.

• • 29 July 2026 — Page published.