Festive Buying Alert: Genuine offers don’t require sensitive information or upfront payments, so customers must verify before engaging.
New Delhi:
As festivals are a time of celebration, gifting, and increased shopping activity, both online and offline channels offer attractive discounts, limited-time sales and cashback promotions to encourage customers do instant purchasing. In this festive rush, many individuals may act impulsively to secure a ‘too good to be true’ deal. However, scamsters are aware of these behavioral patterns and often exploit them through social engineering. This is whey the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation that facilitates services like UPI Payment, Bharat Bill Pay, RuPay Card, FASTag and other, has shared some safety tips to help secure your transactions.
5 Key Safety Tips To Secure Digital Payments
- Use Official Apps, Websites Only: Fraudsters create lookalike websites and links, especially during sale season, to steal personal and payment details. Always type the web address yourself or use the official app. Avoid clicking on links from promotional emails, SMS or forwarded messages. Do not download files or click on links from unknown sources, as they may contain harmful software and could gain access to your device.
- Make Payments Only Within Platform: Some scams push users to pay on external UPI IDs or links outside the shopping app or site, skipping safety checks. Always complete transactions on the official checkout page and confirm the seller’s details.
- Be Careful With Free Vouchers, Cashback Promises: Messages offering rewards, cashback or festival gifts may ask for OTPs, account details or small “fees”. Genuine offers don’t need sensitive information or upfront payments. Pause and verify before engaging.
- Treat Unexpected OTP Requests As Warning: Some messages claim that a payment has failed, or an account is blocked, and then request OTPs to “fix” the problem. OTPs are meant only to confirm a transaction initiated by users. Banks or payment apps never ask for them over calls or messages.
- Don’t Act Under Pressure: Scammers create urgency by saying an offer will expire soon or your account will be blocked if you don’t act. Genuine platforms don’t use fear or rush tactics. Take a moment to check before responding.
