The nation’s digital payment ecosystem has reached a new milestone, with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recording 24,162 crore transactions. These transactions cumulatively are worth ₹314 lakh crore in FY26.
This noticeable surge reflects widespread adoption across both urban and rural regions. Comfort, convenience, real-time fund transfers and growing smartphone penetration in rural regions drive it.
These developments over the past few years have transformed the country’s payment system and made UPI the backbone of the nation’s cashless economy.
Let us look at ways to stay safe while making UPI payments, so common scams involving unauthorised fund transfers and theft can be eliminated.
5 ways to stay safe while making UPI payments
1. Never share your UPI PIN or OTP
UPI PIN is a confidential form of data. You should not share it with anyone. Not only UPI PINs but even ATM PINs, OTPs, CVVs, credit card details, etc., should never be shared with anyone. This is because fraudsters generally pose as banking officers or customer care agents to extract sensitive details.
2. Double-check collect requests
Never make any digital payments in haste. Always cross-check and verify sender details before approving the ‘collection request.’ This is because scammers may trick users into authorising payments that can be sent to different recipients. It is therefore vital to be careful when making payments, as funds once deducted from your bank account are very difficult to recover.
3. Use only trusted apps
Download and use UPI applications authorised by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Also, avoid installing applications from WhatsApp messages, text message links or any other unknown source. Only trust the legitimate Google Play Store and Apple Store for downloading applications, so that data theft and identity theft can be avoided at all costs.
4. Avoid public Wi-Fi for transactions
Making payments over unsecured networks should be avoided at all costs. Such irresponsible usage can expose your financial identity and critical data to financial crimes. In an emergency, always consider using mobile data or a secure private connection. Defending your data and financial identity is in your hands.
5. Monitor transactions regularly
Make sure you also update your latest contact details, such as your working email address, phone number, and alternate contact numbers, in your banking profile by logging in to your internet banking. This way, you will be able to track payments effectively and quickly detect unauthorised payments, and take prompt action to clamp down on scams.
Where to report UPI scams?
If you encounter financial fraud or suspect a scam, report it immediately on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or call the helpline 1930. Timely reporting can help authorities trace transactions and improve the chances of recovering lost funds.
If you encounter financial fraud or suspect a scam, you should report it immediately on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) or call the helpline at 1930. The official website of NCRP, where you can submit your complaint, is: https://cybercrime.gov.in/
