Stay safe › Scams
UPI PIN and QR code scams
"Scan this QR to receive money." You never need your UPI PIN to receive money, only to pay.
How it works
You list a sofa online, or run a shop. A “buyer” agrees quickly, then sends a QR code or a payment request “so you can receive the money”. When you scan and enter your UPI PIN, money leaves your account instead. Another version: a fake screenshot shows they paid too much, and they ask you to send the “extra” back.
The rule
NPCI, which runs UPI, says in its #SafetyShield advice that scanning a QR code and entering your UPI PIN is for making payments, not receiving them, and that you should never share your UPI PIN with anyone.
If it has already happened
- Stop. If you entered your PIN, check your bank balance and call your bank to block UPI.
- Call 1930 at once if money was taken.
- Report the number on Chakshu, and the profile on the marketplace app.
Protect yourself
- Remember: the PIN is only for paying. Scanning a QR and entering your PIN always sends money.
- Check your bank app or SMS for money received. Don't trust screenshots.
- Shopkeepers: use the official soundbox or bank alerts to confirm payments.
Say it simply
If anyone asks for a PIN to send you money, it's a trick.
You never need a PIN to get money. If someone asks for your PIN, they're taking money.
Live through it safely. "The army buyer"Play the story →
Where to report
- Cybercrime helpline 1930Money has been taken or a payment was tricked out of you. Call at once: the sooner, the better the chance of freezing it.Call 1930
- Your bank, directlyBlock your card or UPI, and report the transaction. Use the number on your card or the bank's official app, never one from a message.Number on your card
- Chakshu, on Sanchar SaathiReport a suspected fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp message, even if you lost nothing.sancharsaathi.gov.in
- The app or platformReport and block the account on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube or wherever it happened, so it can be taken down.Report in the app