NPCI Promotes Digital Payments Safety Awareness for Senior Citizens

Digital payments have positively changed everyday life for senior citizens. It has brought convenience by making payment easy for buying groceries, pharmacy purchases or travel bookings. It supports independence by allowing senior citizens to pay on their own without asking family members, especially for small daily needs. It also provides safety and control, as there is less need to carry cash, the risk of loss or theft is lower, and every payment is recorded in transaction history. As digital payments become more common, fraudsters have increased attempts to trick users using social engineering. Common frauds targeting senior citizens are given below: 

• Digital Arrest: Fraudsters pose as law enforcement agents and threaten arrest over fake charges and pressurise victims into paying or sharing personal information. It is important to remember that real government and law enforcement agencies will never ask for money or investigate cases through phone or video calls

• Investment Fraud: Scammers often trick senior citizens by impersonating as financial experts. They use fake endorsements from reputed organisations promising extraordinary returns. Once these fraudsters receive the money, they disappear. If an investment sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam

• Phishing/Vishing Scams: These scams involve emails, texts or calls that impersonate trusted entities like banks or government agencies to trick senior citizens into revealing login details, OTPs or other sensitive information

• Tech Support Scams: Scammers call, claiming to be from a tech company saying that there is a virus in the computer. They then trick senior citizens into downloading file(s)/Apps that gives them remote access to steal data or route messages without their knowledge

• Refund and Payment Link Fraud: In such frauds, senior citizens click a link to receive a refund or rebate for an online purchase, which instead leads to a fake page that steals their login or payment data

Simple rules to protect yourself

• Never share sensitive details such as UPI PIN, OTP, passwords, bank account details, or login credentials. Anyone who asks for these is committing fraud

• Do not click unknown links or install apps shared by callers or strangers posting as people of authority. Screen sharing or remote access apps are commonly used to steal data and control your phone

• If an investment sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam. Check SEBI, RBI, or official regulatory websites for registered firms before investing. Look for HTTPS in the web address, check official domain names, and avoid clicking on unsolicited links

• Pause when urgency is created. Messages saying your account will be blocked today, your KYC will expire, your SIM will stop, or your pension will be paused are designed to rush you. Real institutions will allow time to verify

• If you receive unexpected calls or messages about legal issues, you must take a moment to verify. Stay calm. Real government and law enforcement agencies will never ask for money or investigate cases through phone or video calls, and neither will they press you for time