UPI Safety Guide: How to Receive Money Without Getting Scammed

01How receiving money on UPI actually works

UPI (Unified Payments Interface) lets anyone send money to your bank account using just your UPI ID, mobile number or QR code. When someone pays you, the money is credited automatically. You do not need to approve anything, scan anything or enter any PIN.

This one fact protects you from most UPI frauds: if a person or app says you must enter your PIN, scan a code or accept a request to "receive" money, they are lying. Those actions are only ever used to send money out of your account.

02Your UPI ID is safe to share — your PIN is not

Your UPI ID (for example yourname@okaxis or 98xxxxxx@ybl) works like an account number. It is safe to share with an employer, a friend or a platform that wants to pay you. Your UPI PIN, on the other hand, is like the key to your locker. Never type it anywhere except inside your own UPI app when you are deliberately paying someone.

The same rule applies to OTPs. Banks and UPI apps send OTPs to verify actions such as setting up UPI on a new phone. No genuine company will ever call or message you to ask for that OTP.

03Scam 1: The fake "collect request"

A scammer sends a payment request that looks like it is giving you money — the note may say "refund", "cashback" or "prize". When you tap "Pay" and enter your PIN, money leaves your account instead. Always read the screen carefully: if it says Pay, you are paying. Decline any request you did not expect.

04Scam 2: QR codes "to receive" money

Someone buying an item from you on a marketplace sends a QR code and says "scan this to receive payment". Scanning a QR code and entering a PIN always sends money. To receive money you only share your own QR or UPI ID — you never scan theirs.

05Scam 3: Screen-sharing and remote apps

Fraudsters posing as bank or app support staff may ask you to install a screen-sharing app such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer "to fix a problem". Once installed, they can watch you type your PIN and OTP. Genuine support teams never need to see or control your phone. Uninstall any remote-access app you did not install yourself.

06Scam 4: Fake customer care numbers

Searching "UPI app customer care" on the internet sometimes shows fake numbers posted by scammers. Always get support contacts from inside the official app or the company’s official website, and be suspicious of any "agent" who asks for your PIN, OTP or card details.

07Habits that keep your UPI account safe

Set a strong UPI PIN that is not your birth year or 1234. Turn on the app lock in your UPI app. Check your bank SMS alerts every time money moves. Keep your phone’s operating system and UPI apps updated. Set a daily transaction limit if your app allows it, so that even if something goes wrong the loss is limited.

It also helps to keep a separate bank account with a small balance for online activity, and your main savings in another account that is not linked to many apps.

08What to do if you are scammed

Act fast — the first hour matters most. Call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930 or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Inform your bank immediately and ask them to block further debits. Raise a dispute inside your UPI app with the transaction ID. Keep screenshots of chats, phone numbers and the transaction details as evidence.

09How ReferKamao pays you

On ReferKamao you only add your UPI ID in the Wallet section. After a withdrawal is verified, our team sends the money to that ID and it appears in your bank like any other credit. We will never ask for your UPI PIN, an OTP, a screen-share or any fee to release a withdrawal. If anyone claiming to be from ReferKamao asks for these, report it to referearn144@gmail.com.