Complainants usually understand how to file and have no idea what happens next, which makes the silence afterwards hard to interpret. Knowing the stages tells you whether your case is progressing normally or has genuinely stalled, and what you can usefully do at each point.
The stages
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Receipt | Complaint logged and given a reference |
| Allocation | Assigned to the office with jurisdiction and an officer |
| Inquiry | Establishing whether a cognisable offence is disclosed |
| FIR | Registered where the inquiry supports it |
| Investigation | Evidence gathering, records from platforms and banks, identifying the accused |
| Arrest / recovery | Where warranted and the accused is traceable |
| Challan | Report submitted to the court |
| Trial | Before the court of competent jurisdiction |
The inquiry stage is not the investigation, and conflating the two causes most of the confusion. An inquiry decides whether there is an offence to investigate at all. Many complaints close here - not because nobody believed the complainant, but because what happened does not amount to a cognisable offence under PECA.
What the inquiry stage involves
This is where your complaint spends most of its time and where you can most usefully help.
- Review of the complaint and the material submitted.
- Statement from the complainant, often in person.
- Examination of digital evidence you have provided.
- Preliminary enquiries - who holds the account, which platform, which bank.
- Assessment of whether an offence under PECA is disclosed.
- Decision to register an FIR, close, or refer elsewhere.
Respond quickly at this stage. An inquiry waiting on a complainant to produce a screenshot or attend for a statement simply sits, and the digital evidence you are being asked for may be expiring in the meantime.
Where cases actually stall
| Cause | Can you affect it? |
|---|---|
| Records sought from foreign platforms | No - this is often the longest delay |
| Bank records for a fraud trail | Partly - provide transaction details fast |
| Accused not identifiable | Partly - provide every identifier you have |
| Accused outside Pakistan | No |
| Complainant slow to respond | Yes - entirely within your control |
| Evidence not preserved | Yes, if acted on early |
| Wrong office / jurisdiction | Yes - check at filing |
| Caseload | No |
Note how much of the list is outside anyone's control locally. Requests to overseas platforms for account data run on their timelines, not the FIA's - which is why cases involving foreign social media services take longer than those involving a local bank transfer.
What you can do to help it move
- Preserve and submit evidence immediately - screenshots with URLs and timestamps, transaction records, message exports.
- Provide every identifier - account handles, phone numbers, IBANs, transaction IDs, email addresses.
- Respond to requests within days, not weeks.
- Attend when asked, with originals and copies.
- Keep your complaint reference and use it in every communication.
- Follow up in writing at reasonable intervals.
- Report to the bank in parallel where money moved - see complaining to your bank.
Point seven is the one people miss and it is time-critical. Where funds have moved, the bank's own fraud process runs in parallel with the FIA complaint and can sometimes freeze or recover money faster than the criminal route. Do both, immediately, rather than waiting for one to conclude.
If your complaint is closed
Closure is not necessarily the end, but you need to understand the basis.
- Ask for the reason in writing.
- Establish whether it was closed for lack of evidence or because no offence was disclosed - these lead to different next steps.
- Provide further evidence if the gap is evidential and you can fill it.
- Escalate within the FIA where you believe the decision is wrong.
- Consider the civil route - many matters that are not criminal are actionable civilly.
- Take legal advice on which route now fits.
The fifth point matters. Defamation, contract disputes, and content copying frequently do not meet the threshold for a PECA offence yet remain perfectly good civil claims - see content theft remedies.
Once it reaches court
- Challan submitted to the court of competent jurisdiction.
- Accused appears or is produced; bail matters are dealt with.
- Charge framed.
- Prosecution evidence, including your own testimony as complainant.
- Defence evidence.
- Arguments and judgment.
You will likely need to attend and give evidence. Complainants who stop attending after the FIR is registered are a common reason cases fail, and the practical consequence is that the accused is acquitted. If you begin this process, plan on seeing it through.
Checking on your complaint without harming it
Following up is reasonable and expected. Following up badly wastes the investigating officer's time and yours.
- Always quote your complaint reference in every contact.
- Ask a specific question - "has the FIR been registered?" or "is anything outstanding from me?" - rather than "any update?".
- Put substantive queries in writing, so there is a record.
- Allow reasonable intervals between follow-ups; weekly calls do not accelerate a request sitting with a foreign platform.
- Deal with the office holding your case, not whichever is nearest.
- Escalate within the FIA if there is genuinely no movement over a long period.
The second point is the most useful. "Is anything outstanding from me?" is the single best question a complainant can ask, because it surfaces the situation where your case has been waiting weeks on a document nobody told you was needed.
If you instruct a lawyer, they can follow up formally and correspond on the record, which tends to produce clearer answers than repeated phone calls. That is worth doing where the amounts are significant or the matter has genuinely stalled - see which office holds your complaint.
Setting realistic expectations
- This is not fast. Inquiry, investigation and trial each take their own time.
- Recovery of money is not guaranteed even where there is a conviction.
- Deleted content may not be recoverable, which is why preservation matters so much.
- Anonymous accused may never be identified.
- Foreign accused present real practical limits.
- Your own evidence is decisive - the case is usually only as strong as what you preserved.
None of which is a reason not to complain. It is a reason to preserve evidence properly at the start, act fast on the financial side, and understand what you are entering - see PECA offences and which office has jurisdiction.
Frequently asked questions
What happens after I file an FIA cybercrime complaint?
Receipt and allocation to the office with jurisdiction, then an inquiry to establish whether an offence is disclosed. If it is, an FIR is registered, an investigation follows, and the case goes to court on a challan.
What is the difference between the inquiry and the investigation?
The inquiry decides whether there is a cognisable offence to investigate at all. The investigation follows FIR registration and involves gathering evidence, obtaining records and identifying the accused.
Why is my complaint taking so long?
The longest delays are usually records sought from foreign platforms, which run on their timelines, and bank records for a fraud trail. Complainant delay in responding is the one significant cause within your own control.
What can I do to speed it up?
Preserve and submit evidence immediately, provide every identifier you have, respond to requests within days, attend when asked, quote your complaint reference, and follow up in writing at reasonable intervals.
Money was transferred. Should I only go to the FIA?
No. Report to your bank in parallel and immediately. The bank's fraud process runs alongside the FIA complaint and can sometimes freeze or recover funds faster than the criminal route.
My complaint was closed. What now?
Ask for the reason in writing and establish whether it closed for lack of evidence or because no offence was disclosed. You can provide further evidence, escalate within the FIA, or pursue a civil claim instead.
Will I have to go to court?
Very likely, to give evidence as complainant. Complainants who stop attending after the FIR is registered are a common reason cases fail and the accused is acquitted.
Will I get my money back?
Recovery is not guaranteed even where there is a conviction. Acting fast on the banking side, before funds are dispersed, generally offers the better prospect than waiting for the criminal case to conclude.
How should I follow up on my complaint?
Quote your complaint reference, ask a specific question rather than a general one, put substantive queries in writing, allow reasonable intervals, and deal with the office actually holding your case.
What is the best question to ask?
“Is anything outstanding from me?” It surfaces the common situation where a case has been waiting weeks on a document nobody told the complainant was needed.