The problem
UPI-related fraud came to ₹1,087 crore across 13.42 lakh incidents in 2023–24 and ₹981 crore across 12.64 lakh incidents in 2024–25, the Finance Ministry told the Lok Sabha.
Much of it involves no technical break-in. The victim is talked into approving the payment, for example by a caller pretending to be from the bank, or by a QR code that takes money when they expected to receive it.
Banks send general warnings, and the 1930 helpline takes reports after the money has gone. Neither helps during the phone call or on the payment screen, which is where the decision is made. A plain warning there, in the user's language, when a request matches a known scam pattern, is the piece that is missing.
- Who has this problem
- Anyone who pays by UPI, and especially first-time and older users.
- Languages needed
- Hindi and regional languages
Where the demand comes from
What people do today
- The workaround
- They rely on warnings from banks and family, and report to the 1930 cybercrime helpline after the money has left.
- Why that fails
- Warnings are general and arrive at the wrong moment. The scam happens inside a phone call or a payment screen, where nobody is there to say stop.
How others solved it1
Products and services that work on a similar problem, in India and elsewhere.
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and 1930 helplineIndia
Government channel for reporting financial fraud after it happens.
Read and watch2
Where the facts on this page come from.
- ArticleDomestic UPI frauds: Finance Ministry data presented in the Lok Sabha
CyberPeace
- ArticleGovt takes considerable measures to combat rising digital payment frauds
Akashvani News