Summary of this article
GSMA study reveals 33% of reported scam cases in India remain unresolved.
Only 33% of victims who lost money recovered all or part of it.
Report urges police, banks, and platforms to coordinate better for faster resolution.
Summary of this article
Reporting a scam does not always lead to a resolution, even after approaching banks, police or digital platforms. Sometimes, victims may struggle to recover their lost money. The GSMA Consumer Scam Study 2026 found that one in three reported scam cases in India, which accounts for 33 per cent, remained unresolved. Across the six ASEAN markets covered by the study, the corresponding share was 45 per cent.
Police, Banks Among Organisations Approached
The study found that 86 per cent of scam victims in India had approached at least one organisation about their case, compared with 69 per cent across the ASEAN-6 markets. Police were the most frequently approached, with 49 per cent of Indian respondents who experienced scams reporting their cases to them. Banks and e-wallet providers were approached by 41 per cent, while 40 per cent contacted the platform where the scam occurred.
Another 36 per cent approached their mobile or internet service provider. Victims could approach multiple organisations for the same incident. Those who reported a case approached an average of 1.99 organisations in India. However, 14 per cent of scam victims did not approach any organisation.
Who Takes Responsibility For Resolving Scam Cases?
In India, an organisation took primary responsibility in 65 per cent of reported cases, compared with 53 per cent across the ASEAN-6 markets.
However, taking responsibility did not always mean resolution. Government or police authorities resolved 32 per cent of cases brought to them. Banks and financial service providers resolved 25 per cent of cases they received, followed by digital platforms at 17 per cent and mobile operators at 10 per cent. These figures refer to cases received by each type of organisation, not all reported scams.
Money Recovery Remains A Challenge
The study found that 64 per cent of scam victims in India had lost money. Of those who lost money, 33 per cent recovered at least some of it, compared with 18 per cent across the ASEAN-6 markets. Across reported cases in India, 22 per cent were fully resolved with the money returned, while 17 per cent were partly resolved, with some money returned.
The report also found that 64 per cent of Indian victims encountered scams through more than one channel, compared with 49 per cent across the ASEAN-6 markets.
How Can Scam Cases Be Resolved?
The report calls for better coordination among police, banks, payment providers, digital platforms and telecom operators to improve case resolution and money recovery.
It also recommends publishing resolution outcomes, which include the share of cases resolved and money returned. Banks, platforms and telecom operators can strengthen fraud detection and coordinate their response without adding unnecessary checks or delays for consumers.
The study included approximately 500 respondents in India. The ASEAN-6 figures are equal-weighted across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, based on a combined sample of 3,000 respondents.
