People whose bank accounts have been frozen during a cyber crime investigation can now get a simpler way to raise their complaints.
The government has introduced two new grievance systems on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
These are called the Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM) and Money Refund Mechanism (MRM).
The new systems are designed to help both people whose bank accounts were wrongly frozen and victims who lost money in online fraud.
How to Unfreeze a Bank Account?
If your bank account has been put on hold or frozen because of a cyber crime investigation, you can now raise a complaint directly with your bank.
The account holder needs to submit a written application at the concerned bank branch.
Required KYC documents and other relevant papers should also be provided.
The bank will then check the documents and review the transactions in the account.
After this verification, the bank will send a report to the police team investigating the cyber crime case.
The police may conduct further checks and can ask the account holder for additional documents or information if required.
Once the investigation is completed, the account holder will be informed about the decision.
If the investigation finds that the account was frozen by mistake or without sufficient reason, the account can be restored.
Cyber Fraud Victims Can Also Request a Refund
The new system also aims to make it easier for cyber fraud victims to recover money that was lost in an online scam.
First, the victim must file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
After filing the complaint, the victim can use the MRM system to submit a refund request online.
The applicant needs to enter the 14-digit cyber crime complaint number and verify it using the OTP sent to the registered mobile number.
After logging in, the victim can select the refund request option and submit the required details.
What Documents Are Needed for the Refund?
The victim will need to provide important details and documents while submitting the refund request.
These include a photo of the PAN card and bank account details.
If there is a court order or any other relevant document related to the case, it can also be uploaded with the application.
Once the request is submitted, the authorities will begin the verification process.
Two-Level Verification Before the Money Is Returned
The refund is not processed immediately after the application is submitted.
According to the information provided by Bihar’s Cyber Crime and Security Unit, the case first undergoes verification at the police station level for around seven days.
After that, another verification is carried out at the bank level for around seven days.
If everything is found to be in order, the money held in the accused person’s bank account can be returned to the victim’s account.
The new GRM and MRM systems are intended to make the process more organised and give cyber crime victims a clearer way to recover their money or get wrongly frozen bank accounts restored.
