A consultancy took a fee. Can you get it back?

An honest answer first

Pehle sach baat.

Sometimes yes, often partly, and sometimes not at all. Any page that promises you will get your money back is doing to you what the consultancy did — telling you what you want to hear to keep you engaged.

What is true is that the odds depend heavily on how fast you act and on how much you can evidence. Both of those are still in your hands today, and neither will be in a month.

Do these first, today

Aaj hi ye karo.

The order matters. Reporting to the bank and the helpline is what can actually stop money still in transit; everything else builds the case.

• Call 1930 and file at cybercrime.gov.in — do this before anything else
• Tell your bank, in writing, and ask them to raise a dispute on the transaction
• Gather the receipt, the UPI or transfer reference, and every message where the fee was demanded
• Write to the consultancy once, asking for the refund and a copy of what you paid for. Keep it factual and keep the reply
• If it was a UPI or wallet payment, report it in that app as well — they have their own dispute route

What actually helps a claim

Kya cheez madad karti hai.

Evidence that the payment was demanded in exchange for a job is worth more than evidence that you paid. A receipt proves money moved; a message saying "pay ₹3,000 and the joining letter comes tomorrow" proves what it was for.

This is why the screenshots matter more than people expect. Take them before you block anyone, because the messages usually disappear with the account.

And afterwards

Uske baad.

Whatever the outcome, do not pay a second party who offers to recover the first payment for a fee. Recovery scams follow fee scams closely and specifically target people who have already lost money once, because that list is easy to find and the people on it are motivated.

The genuine routes are free: 1930, cybercrime.gov.in, your bank, and the payment app.

Common questions