Govt Boosts UPI Safety, Risky Numbers To Be Blocked Automatically

New Delhi: The Indian government has started a strong new system to stop frauds in UPI money transfers. Now, if you try to send money to a mobile number marked as risky, your UPI app might block it. This step is to protect users from being scammed. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is leading this effort.

How the New System Works

The system is called the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI). It is a part of the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP). This system checks phone numbers for any fraud activity or fake identity issues. It uses data from:

- The National Cybercrime Reporting Portal

- The DoT’s Chakshu platform

- Banks and payment apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm

- It marks phone numbers as Medium, High, or Very High risk.

What Happens If You Send Money to a Risky Number?

If the number is Very High Risk, your UPI app will block the transaction right away. It will also show a warning message.

If the number is Medium Risk, you will get a warning, but you can choose to continue after confirming it’s safe.

Sometimes, payments can be delayed for extra checks.

Real-Time Help for Banks and Apps

The government also gives banks and apps a list called the Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL). This list includes numbers that were stopped because of fraud or other wrong use. It helps payment apps know which numbers are unsafe.

Banks and UPI apps will get updates regularly so they can act fast and protect users.

Why This Is a Big Deal?

UPI handles more than 90 per cent of India’s digital payments. Many scams happen through fake numbers and fast SIM swaps. This new system will help stop fraud before it happens. It also makes sure that users know if something is not right when they try to send money.