Expert insights on India's cybersecurity and digital safety landscape amid rising UPI scams

In today's digital age, India faces a staggering 23,000 cybercrimes daily, with a significant 77% attributed to financial frauds, half of which are UPI-related, according to the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), an initiative incubated by IIT Kanpur. The Ministry of Finance reports over 95,000 fraud cases linked to UPI transactions in 2023 alone.

Krish Gandhi, a cybersecurity expert, emphasises the urgent need for digital safety awareness, stating, "India is rapidly digitising, but digital literacy is low. People are uncertain about messages and platform usage, posing a significant problem. We aim to ensure India understands digital safety to protect citizens from online scams, affecting 33% annually."

Anuj Jain, another cybersecurity expert, sheds light on a prevalent UPI scam, explaining, "Hackers credit your account with real money, around ₹2,000 to ₹2,500, and request it back through a deceptive link. Clicking on it redirects to a fake UPI app or Google Pay page. Sharing OTP or UPI PIN on this page exposes your details, enabling easy account hacking."