Banking & Financial Scam Awareness Challenge

Question 1

UPI Request from a Known Contact You receive an unexpected UPI payment request from a close friend's account with a message saying, 'Emergency, pay immediately.' What should you do?

A familiar name does not always mean the request was actually sent by that person.

Approve the request if the profile photo matches your friend Independently contact your friend using a communication method you already trust and verify the request Pay half the amount first Pay immediately because you recognize the name

Question 2

Fake Payment Screenshot A customer says they have paid you ₹8,000 through UPI and shows you a screenshot of a successful transaction, but you have not received a credit notification. What should you do before handing over the product?

A screenshot can be edited or fabricated.

Ask the customer to send another screenshot Hand over the product if the customer's name appears on the screenshot Trust the screenshot because it shows a transaction ID Verify the payment independently in your bank or payment app before handing over the product

Question 3

Unexpected Micro-Deposit You notice a very small unfamiliar credit in your bank account followed by a message from a stranger asking you to send the money to a different account. What should you do?

Do not follow financial instructions from an unknown person simply because money appeared in your account.

Contact your bank through an official channel and follow its guidance regarding the unexpected credit Immediately transfer it to whatever account the stranger provides Keep the money and block every bank notification Share your account statement with the stranger so they can prove the transfer

Question 4

Lost Debit Card You realize that your debit card is missing and you are unsure whether it was lost or stolen. What should you do first?

Reducing the time the missing card remains usable reduces your risk.

Change your social-media password and do nothing about the card Immediately lock or block the card through your bank's official channel and review recent transactions Post the card number online so people can identify it Wait a few days in case someone returns it

Question 5

Card Retained by ATM An ATM keeps your debit card and immediately afterward a stranger nearby offers to help you recover it. What should you do?

Do not rely on strangers when your banking card is involved.

Contact the bank or ATM operator using official contact information and secure or block the card if necessary Follow the stranger's instructions because they may know how the ATM works Tell the stranger your PIN so they can help retrieve the card Wait for someone else to use the ATM and ask them to retrieve your card

Question 6

ATM PIN Protection Someone is standing very close behind you while you enter your PIN at an ATM. What should you do?

Your PIN can be stolen simply by watching you enter it.

Ask the person behind you to confirm that you entered the correct PIN Continue because the ATM hides the PIN on screen Say your PIN quietly while entering it so you remember it Shield the keypad and ensure you have enough privacy before entering your PIN

Question 7

Fake Loan Processing Fee You are offered an instant ₹5 lakh loan with no credit check, but the lender says you must first transfer ₹10,000 as a processing and insurance fee to a personal bank account. What should you do?

Unexpected advance-payment demands deserve careful verification.

Pay half the fee as a test Pay immediately because the loan amount is much larger than the fee Send the fee if the lender provides a company logo Verify the lender independently, review the loan terms, and do not transfer money to an unverified personal account

Question 8

SIM Swap Warning Your phone suddenly loses mobile network service even though other people nearby have normal coverage. Shortly afterward, you receive emails about changes to your banking account. What should you do?

Unexpected loss of mobile service can sometimes indicate a problem with your SIM.

Contact your mobile operator and bank through official channels immediately Ignore it and wait until the next day Post your phone number online and ask whether others have the same problem Restart your phone repeatedly until the network returns

Question 9

Fake Merchant Card Verification An online seller asks you to send a photograph of the front and back of your debit card to 'verify that you are the card owner.' What should you do?

Think about what sensitive information is printed on a payment card.

Do not send card photographs and use legitimate payment and verification methods instead Send only the back of the card Send the photos because merchants need them for verification Send the photos if the seller promises to delete them

Question 10

Fake Investment Dashboard You invest ₹20,000 through an unfamiliar trading platform. The dashboard soon shows a profit of ₹80,000, but the platform says you must pay a ₹15,000 'tax clearance fee' before withdrawals are enabled. What should you do?

Numbers displayed inside an unverified platform do not prove that real profits exist.

Borrow the fee so you can withdraw faster Pay because the displayed profit is much larger than the fee Pay if customer support sends a screenshot of your profit Stop sending money and independently verify the platform and investment before taking further action

Question 11

Suspicious Auto-Debit Mandate You receive a notification asking you to approve a recurring payment mandate for ₹9,999 per month, but you do not recognize the company or remember creating the mandate. What should you do?

Recurring mandates can authorize future payments, not just a single transaction.

Approve it and cancel after the first payment Approve it because payment mandates are automatically verified by the bank Approve it if the first payment is ₹0 or a very small amount Do not approve the unknown mandate and verify it through your bank or payment provider's official channel

Question 12

Fake Recovery Agent After you lose money in an online scam, someone contacts you claiming they can recover the entire amount if you first pay a 'recovery fee.' What should you do?

Fraud victims can sometimes be targeted a second time.

Do not send money to an unsolicited recovery service and use official reporting and financial-institution channels Give them your banking password so they can trace the stolen money Pay because they already know how much you lost Pay only after they promise the recovery in writing

Question 13

Fake Banking Search Advertisement You search online for your bank's customer-care number. The first result is a sponsored advertisement displaying a phone number. What is the safest approach?

Being at the top of search results does not prove that a contact number is official.

Call every number in the search results until someone answers Call it because search engines verify every advertised support number Call the number and provide account details only if the person sounds professional Use contact information from the bank's official app, official website, card, or other verified source

Question 14

Unknown Device Login Alert Your banking app alerts you that your account was accessed from a new device that you do not recognize. What should you do?

A login from an unknown device can indicate compromised credentials.

Ignore it if no money has disappeared yet Post a screenshot of the alert publicly for advice Secure the account immediately using official banking channels, review activity, and report the unknown access Wait until the unknown device logs in a second time

Question 15

UPI Transfer to the Wrong Recipient You are about to send ₹20,000 through UPI and notice that the recipient name displayed by the app is different from the person you intended to pay. What should you do?

Review transaction details before authorization.

Cancel or stop the transaction and independently verify the recipient details Continue because the phone number is similar Send ₹10,000 instead of ₹20,000 Send the money and ask for it back if it goes to the wrong person