India
High scam pressureUPI fraud, OTP-forwarding, matrimonial and job scams dominate — with CERT-In as the official advisory source.
Last reviewed 2026-09-01 · sources below
What the landscape looks like
- India's scam economy runs on UPI + OTP trust: refund QRs, fake KYC-suspension SMS, and customer-care impersonation are the top lures reported to the national cybercrime portal.
- Matrimonial and rental-advance fraud reuse the same playbook: urgency, off-platform payment, and refusal of video verification.
- Public breach exposure is concentrated in e-commerce, edtech, and job portals — reuse of one password across these is the most common account-takeover path.
Top lure (self-reported patterns)
UPI collect-request QRs
Fastest-growing lure
Fake customer-care numbers via search ads
Official adviser
CERT-In
Dominant scams & red flags
UPI refund / QR fraud
A “buyer” overpays and asks you to scan a QR to “receive” the refund — the QR is actually a collect request that debits you.
- Scanning a QR to RECEIVE money
- Advance via UPI to a stranger
- Refusal to meet or video-call
OTP-forwarding / KYC suspension
SMS claims your SIM/bank KYC is suspended with a link to a lookalike site that harvests OTPs in real time.
- Links with “kyc”, “verify”, “suspend”
- Pressure to act in minutes
- Caller asks you to read back an OTP
Matrimonial profile fraud
Polished NRI/professional profiles build trust over weeks, then request money for a “customs fee”, “medical emergency”, or “investment”.
- Refuses video calls
- Moves chat off-platform fast
- Money request before meeting family
Protect yourself — checklist
- Never scan a QR or enter a UPI PIN to RECEIVE money — receiving needs no PIN, ever.
- No legitimate bank, RBI, or telecom asks for OTPs on call or link — hang up and call the official number.
- Video-verify matrimonial and rental contacts before money or documents move.
- Run the free breach self-check and link scanner on this site before every new transaction.
Run the free checks before your next transaction
Official advisories & reporting
- CERT-In advisories & vulnerability notes (CERT-In)
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (MHA)
- RBI awareness — secure digital banking (RBI)
- Report to National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal
Defensive use only — please read
- These checks use public records and threat-intelligence feeds. A “clean” result means “not seen in the sources checked”, never “guaranteed safe”.
- Check only addresses, numbers, and handles you own or have a genuine reason to verify. Looking up another person without a lawful basis may violate India's DPDP Act 2023 and IT Act 2000.
- We never display passwords, dumps, or stolen data — only aggregate safety signals and what to do next.
- Victim of fraud or harassment? Report at cybercrime.gov.in (India) and contact local police in an emergency — this site is not emergency response.