Safe Digital Banking Habits Every Student Should Know

Most student banking fraud in India happens over UPI and phone/SMS-based social engineering, not through sophisticated hacking. Rules worth internalizing: - No legitimate bank, UPI app, or company will ever ask for your PIN, OTP, or CVV over a phone call, SMS, or email. Anyone who does, regardless of how official they sound, is attempting fraud. - Sending money on UPI to "receive" money is not a real thing. Scammers frequently request a small "collect" payment or ask you to enter your UPI PIN to "accept" a refund or cashback, entering your PIN only authorizes an outgoing payment. - Verify payment requests before approving. Always read the payee name and amount shown on your UPI app's collect-request screen carefully before approving, scammers often use lookalike names. - Be cautious with screen-sharing apps. Never install a remote screen-sharing app (like AnyDesk or TeamViewer) at the request of someone claiming to be from your bank or a customer support line you didn't initiate contact with. - Check the source of "customer care" numbers. Fraudulent customer care numbers are commonly posted on search engines and social media. Always use the number printed on your physical card or your bank's official app. - Enable transaction alerts. Keep SMS/app notifications on for every debit so you notice unauthorized activity immediately. If you do fall victim to a fraudulent transaction, report it immediately through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or call 1930, acting within the first few hours significantly improves the chance of recovering funds.