UPI has launched a witty new campaign—#MainMoorkhNahiHoon—featuring the ever-charming Pankaj Tripathi to promote awareness against online scams. In this clever ad, Tripathi plays a peanut seller who receives a fraudulent lottery message. With humor and clarity, he conveys that while he may sell peanuts, he’s no fool when it comes to recognizing scams, reinforcing UPI’s central message: “I am not a fool” (#MainMoorkhNahiHoon). The ad serves as a light-hearted reminder for viewers to stay cautious and think twice before clicking on suspicious links, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding against digital fraud.
In November 2023, Tripathi was appointed UPI’s ‘Safety Ambassador’ to raise awareness about secure digital payment practices. Earlier this year, UPI also collaborated with Bollywood actors like Shakti Kapoor, Varun Sharma, Sudha Chandran, and Gulshan Grover to educate users on avoiding common cyber fraud methods, such as QR code misuse and phishing links, urging them to always rely on official company websites for contact information.
Other platforms, such as Google Pay, have also joined in promoting online safety, launching ads with actors like Rana Daggubati, Neena Gupta, Rajkummar Rao, and Sanya Malhotra to spread awareness about avoiding UPI-related scams. These campaigns emphasize secure digital transactions, warning users about phishing, fraudulent UPI links, and how to protect their personal and financial information.
The initiative was a part of Google Pay’s broader effort to combat the rising incidents of online scams, empowering users to stay vigilant while benefiting from the convenience of UPI payments. As per the Union finance ministry, over 95,000 fraud cases of UPI transactions were recorded in the country in 2022-23, which is an increase from 77,000 cases in 2020-21, and 84,0000 cases in 2021-22.
The types of fraud reported include phishing attacks, fake payment requests, and impersonation scams. Lack of financial literacy and awareness about security practices in digital payments leads to the targeting of many victims.
To curb the same, in November 2023, the Indian government announced a minimum time delay for initial transactions between two users, particularly for amounts exceeding Rs 2,000.
As per a report from Indian Express, officials are contemplating a four-hour window for the first transaction. Cybercriminals and fraudsters view the proposed delay as a safety net to deter them from exploiting the speed and convenience of UPI transactions.
