Fraudsters deposit small amounts into UPI accounts to gain trust, then trick users into transferring larger sums.
Tamil Nadu Police urge users to verify deposits and avoid sharing UPI PINs to prevent fraud.
Report suspicious UPI transactions immediately on the cybercrime portal to help authorities track scammers.
UPI Fraud Alert: Technology has definitely made communication and online transactions very easy. There are plenty of UPI applications which allow users to transfer money within a few seconds. Looking at the convenience, the scammers are always on the watch to find out new ways to defraud people. Recently, the authorities have warned about the rising Jumped Deposit Scam targeting the UPI users.
For the unversed, in this particular scam, the fraudsters often deposit money to the victim’s amount to win the trust and then trick them by making them transfer large amount of money. Looking at the rising number of such scams, the Tamil Nadu Police has issued a warning asking users to stay alert. Here’s how the scam works.
How scam unfolds:
Usually, the fraudsters send a very small amount of money to the victim’s bank account via UPI and then end up calling the victim asking them to return a greater amount by telling them a fake story. Lost in the situation, the victim checks the message and often proceeds to tap on the payment request link shared by the fraudsters, losing money after entering their PIN number. The scam unfolds when the victim checks the actual amount that was transferred to their account.
If you receive any of such calls, you should keep the following things in mind:
Verify your account balance: Even if you get into a situation where somebody is claiming that they have sent you money, first verify the amount and your bank balance.
Do Not Share Your UPI PIN: Avoid responding to requests from unknown individuals and do not share your PIN.
Report: After verifying the bank account balance and the deposit, you should report the scam to authorities.
Do note that if you get such suspicious calls, you can report them immediately on the cybercrime portal or authorities.
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. Previously, he worked as a Senior Sub-Editor with Jagran English from 2022, and has been a journalist since 2020, with experience at Times Internet. Ashish specializes in Technology. In his free time, you can find him exploring new gadgets, gaming, and discovering new places.