How to Detect and Avoid Online Scams in India
A practical guide to the scams targeting Indians — UPI fraud, KYC phishing, fake jobs, deepfakes — and how to spot and stop them.
Know the common scams
UPI/payment-link fraud, fake KYC and bank "update" messages, fake job and work-from-home offers, lottery and prize scams, and increasingly deepfake videos used for fake endorsements and extortion.
Spot the red flags
Urgency ("act now or your account closes"), requests for OTP or payment, slightly-wrong URLs, unsolicited prizes and pressure to move off official channels. Genuine institutions never ask for your OTP or PIN.
Verify before you act
Never click links in suspicious messages. Use a scam detector to score the message, and verify any "known person" video or request through a separate, trusted channel.
Protect your business
Vet "bulk order" and "supplier" messages before paying, train staff on red flags, and pair a scam detector with a deepfake checker to catch fraud that uses fake media.
Step-by-step
- 1Pause on urgencyTreat any urgent money or OTP request as a red flag.
- 2Inspect the detailsCheck the sender, URL and grammar for tell-tale signs.
- 3Run a scam checkPaste the message or link into an AI scam detector for a risk score.
- 4Verify independentlyConfirm through a separate trusted channel before acting.
- 5Report and blockReport to the bank/portal and block the sender.
FAQs
How can I tell if a message is a scam?+
Look for urgency, OTP/payment requests, wrong URLs and unsolicited prizes. An AI scam detector can score the message and explain the warning signs instantly.
Can AI detect deepfake videos?+
A deepfake checker assesses likely manipulation. No tool is perfect, so always verify suspicious media through a trusted channel too.
Is the BharatOS scam detector free?+
Yes — you can paste a message or link in the free demo and get a risk score.