Dhan Suraksha

Learn the basics

You don't need to understand technology to stay safe. These six habits stop the large majority of digital payment scams, and they take about five minutes to read.

Last reviewed 01 Aug 2026

Six safety habits

  1. 1

    Money coming in never needs a PIN or code

    You only enter a PIN, password or one-time code when money leaves your account. If someone asks for it so they can send you a refund, cashback or prize, it is a scam.

  2. 2

    Read the payee name, every time

    Before you confirm any payment, check the name on the confirmation screen. If it doesn't match the shop, person or company in front of you, stop.

  3. 3

    No one legitimate asks for OTP, CVV or PIN

    No bank, payment app, delivery company, tax office or government agency will ever ask for these. Anyone who does is trying to rob you.

  4. 4

    Slow down when someone creates urgency

    "Your account will be blocked in 5 minutes" exists to stop you thinking. Hang up, breathe, and call the number printed on your card.

  5. 5

    Type addresses yourself

    Don't tap bank, courier or tax links from SMS, WhatsApp, email or search adverts. Open the official app or type the website address by hand.

  6. 6

    Know where to report, wherever you are

    Report as soon as you notice fraud — the FTC in the US, Action Fraud in the UK, 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in in India, Scamwatch in Australia. The first few hours give the best chance of a freeze.

Remember these

5 rules that can save your money

Five habits that stop the large majority of payment fraud. If you remember nothing else from this site, remember these.

  1. 1

    Never enter a PIN to receive money

    Receiving a legitimate payment never requires your debit-card PIN, and never requires you to approve a payment screen.

    • “Enter your PIN to receive your refund” is a major warning sign — treat it as fraud.
    • In the U.S., the same trick appears as: authorize this transaction, read me the verification code, or accept this Zelle/Venmo/Cash App request.
    • A code, PIN or approval only ever moves money out of your account.

    India: In India this is the UPI PIN version: money in never needs a UPI PIN, only money out does.

  2. 2

    Never install screen-sharing apps for “customer support”

    Real support never needs to watch or control your device. Remote-access software hands over your banking session.

    • Typical requests: install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, QuickSupport, or “our support app”.
    • Never give an unknown person remote access to your phone or computer.
    • If you already installed one, uninstall it, turn off Wi-Fi and data, and call your bank from the number on your card.
  3. 3

    Be extremely cautious with QR codes

    A payment QR code can be used to initiate a payment. If someone tells you to scan a QR code to receive a refund, payment, prize or money, stop and verify.

    • Fake refunds: “scan this to get your money back” — the screen you approve is a debit.
    • Fake marketplace buyers: a “deposit” QR sent before pickup.
    • Fake parking or toll notices with a code stuck over the real one.
    • Fake restaurant or business codes: a sticker pasted on top of the merchant's own.

    India: India-specific UPI collect-request and QR-sticker mechanics are covered in the UPI cases in the Scam Library.

  4. 4

    Check the actual website address

    Logos, fonts and full page layouts are trivial to copy. The address bar is the part that is hard to fake.

    • Look at the address, not just the logo.
    • Legitimate example: sbi.co.in — suspicious look-alikes: sb1-online.com, sbi-online.net.
    • Watch for extra words, hyphens and unusual endings around a familiar brand name, e.g. a “usps” or “chase” name followed by -alert, -secure, -verify, or an unexpected domain ending.
    • Safest habit: type the address yourself or open the official app instead of tapping a link.
  5. 5

    Don't blindly trust support numbers you find by searching

    Fraudsters buy ads and publish fake business listings, so a search result can put their number above the real one.

    • Get support numbers from the official app, the back of your card, the official website you typed yourself, or a statement or document.
    • Never call back a number sent to you by text, email or a pop-up.
    • If a “support agent” asks for codes, PINs, remote access or gift cards, the call is the scam.

Already scammed?

Act in this order. The first hours matter most.

Being scammed is not your fault. Stop all further payments, stop following the caller's instructions, and work through these four steps.

  1. Step 1Contact your bank or card issuerCall the number printed on the back of your card or use the number inside your official banking app. Ask them to freeze the card or account and open a fraud dispute. Do not call any number the scammer gave you.
  2. Step 2Report it inside the payment appIf money moved through Zelle, Venmo, Cash App or PayPal, report the transaction as fraud in the app immediately and contact the provider. Speed matters more than anything else in the first hours.
  3. Step 3Report to the right official authorityIn the U.S., report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov when it involves online crime or a significant loss. Your state attorney general's office may also take reports.
  4. Step 4Preserve every piece of evidenceScreenshots, transaction IDs, phone numbers, emails and messages, payment details, web addresses and the account information involved. Save it before anything is deleted — investigators and disputes depend on it.

If you are in India

Call the national cyber-fraud helpline 1930 as soon as you notice the fraud, then file a written complaint at cybercrime.gov.in and keep the acknowledgement number. Save UPI transaction IDs and the payee VPA.

Reporting depends on your country

In the first few minutes

Being scammed is not your fault, and speed matters more than anything else. Work through these steps in order.

  1. Step 1. Stop all further payments and don't follow any more instructions from the caller.
  2. Step 2. Call your bank or card issuer on their official number (printed on your card) and ask them to freeze the account or card.
  3. Step 3. Change the password on the account involved, and on your email if you shared any code.
  4. Step 4. Report the fraudulent transaction inside the payment app you used — Zelle, Venmo, Cash App or PayPal.
  5. Step 5. Save every piece of evidence: messages, screenshots, phone numbers and transaction IDs.
  6. Step 6. Tell your family or neighbours what happened — the same script is usually reused nearby.

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