Someone hacked my social media account and demanded money

Having your social media account hacked and being extorted for money is a serious cyber crime under Indian law. You should not pay the hacker, as payment rarely results in account restoration and may encourage further demands. You can file a complaint immediately and take steps to recover your account through official channels.

Key points

• Hacking into someone's account without permission is a criminal offence, as is demanding money through threats or extortion.
• Do not transfer any money — paying the hacker gives no legal guarantee and could make things worse.
• Preserve all evidence: take screenshots of messages, threats, and any account activity you can still access.
• Report the compromise directly to the social media platform using their account recovery and reporting tools.
• Act quickly — early reporting improves the chances of account recovery and helps investigators trace the hacker.

Relevant law

This situation may attract Section 43 and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (unauthorised access and computer-related offences) and Section 66C (identity theft). The demand for money amounts to extortion, which is covered under Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) (extortion). Depending on the nature of the threats, additional sections of the BNS relating to criminal intimidation may also apply.

What you can do

• File a cyber crime complaint online at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in — this is available 24/7 and covers financial and social media frauds.
• Visit your nearest Cyber Crime Police Station in Jaipur (under Rajasthan Police) to file an FIR in person, especially if money has already been demanded or paid.
• Call the national cyber helpline 1930 to report the incident and get immediate guidance.
• Contact the social media platform's official help centre to initiate account recovery and report the hacker's activity directly.