UPI Tips: Quickly check these settings of your UPI, otherwise your account will be emptied..

The popularity of digital payments in India is increasing day by day. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has not only simplified the payment process but has also made it a necessity for every household. From bill payments to small transactions, UPI has become the first choice of people. However, along with its convenience, cases of cybercrime are also increasing rapidly. Among these, the UPI auto-pay scam has emerged as a new and dangerous threat. Let us know in detail about this scam and also how to avoid it.

Transactions worth more than Rs 23.48 lakh crore on UPI

According to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), transactions worth about Rs 20.64 lakh crore were recorded through UPI in the year 2024. This figure increased further in January 2025, when transactions worth more than Rs 23.48 lakh crore took place with 16.99 billion transactions. These figures show the popularity of UPI, but along with this, cases of cyber fraud are also coming to the fore. Cybercriminals are targeting people by misusing the facilities of UPI.

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of UPI auto-pay

The specialty of UPI is that it allows instant payment through a QR code or UPI ID. Similarly, NPCI introduced the UPI auto-pay feature in 2020, which makes regular payments easier. Under this feature, with the consent of the user, the amount like mobile recharge, electricity bill, credit card bill, insurance premium, or loan EMI is automatically deducted on the due date. This ensures timely payment and late penalties can be avoided. But cybercriminals are cheating people by taking advantage of this facility.

Many ways to scam on UPI auto-pay
Cyber thugs are trapping people in their net using UPI auto-pay requests. Some of their main tactics are as follows:

1. Fake links and messages

The criminals send fake links through SMS, email, or social media. As soon as these links are clicked, the process of deducting money from the user's account starts. Sometimes these links are designed to accept auto-pay requests, due to which money keeps getting deducted from the account every month.

2. Calls pretending to be bank officials

Scammers call by calling themselves bank or UPI customer care officials. They ask the user to enter the UPI PIN or OTP to activate auto-pay. As soon as the user enters the PIN, the account gets emptied.

3. Lure of cheap subscription

Many times the user is lured to accept auto-pay requests in the name of cheap subscriptions or offers. Once the request is accepted, the money is set to be deducted from the account every month, and the user does not even know about it.

4. Cashback and discount scam

Users are induced to accept auto-pay requests on the pretext of cashback, discounts, or other tempting offers. Accepting an unknown request leads to fraud.

Measures to prevent fraud

It is important to take some precautions to avoid UPI auto-pay scams.

Avoid unknown links: Do not click on any unknown SMS, email, or social media link. Always accept requests received from a trusted source.

Keep PIN and OTP confidential: Do not give your UPI PIN, OTP, or banking details to any caller, even if he claims to be a bank official.

Check auto-pay requests: Check the authenticity of auto-pay requests before accepting them. Accept only requests from trusted merchants or service providers.

File a complaint immediately: If you become a victim of fraud, immediately file a complaint through the Report Fraud or Report Dispute option in your UPI app. Also, submit a written complaint to the bank.

Check auto-pay settings: Check the auto-pay settings in your UPI app from time to time and turn off unknown or unnecessary auto-pays.

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