5 Essential NPCI Tips for Safe Digital Payments During the Festive Season

The festive shopping rush brings both deals and heightened scam risks. NPCI shares 5 important digital payment safety tips to help you spot social engineering tricks, avoid payment fraud, and shop confidently—both online and offline—this season.

Cyber Security Oct 16, 2025 0 Add to Reading List

5 Essential NPCI Tips for Safe Digital Payments During the Festive Season

NPCI’s 5 Key Digital Payment Safety Tips for the Festive Rush

The festive season means sales, shopping, and deals everywhere—but also more attempts at digital payment fraud. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) shares these essential, easy-to-follow guidelines to help you enjoy secure transactions and steer clear of scams.

1. Shop Only on Official Apps and Websites

Fraudsters often create lookalike sites and phishing links during major sales.
How to stay safe: Type web addresses directly or use the official shopping app. Avoid clicking on links in emails, SMS, or forwarded messages, and do not download files from unknown senders.

2. Complete Payments Only Within the Platform

Never pay via external UPI IDs or links sent outside the shopping platform.
How to stay safe: Always finish your shopping and payments using the official checkout process and verify seller details before making transactions.

3. Be Careful with Free Vouchers and Cashback Promises

Scammers exploit the lure of free offers to extract OTPs, banking info, or small “advance fees.”
How to stay safe: Genuine offers never require sensitive personal info or upfront payments. Pause to verify before acting on deals that seem too good to be true.

4. Treat Unexpected OTP Requests as a Red Flag

Fraudsters may pose as banks/payment apps, claim a failed payment, and request your OTP “to fix” the issue.
How to stay safe: Never share an OTP you didn’t request. Banks and payment apps will never ask for an OTP over call or SMS. Only enter OTPs to confirm your own actions.

5. Don’t Act Under Pressure

Many scams use urgency—fake “account blocked” or “last minute deal” tactics—to rush you into giving up confidential info.
How to stay safe: Take a moment to double-check before clicking or responding. Legitimate companies don’t use scare tactics or pressure for instant action.

Adopt the ‘Stop, Think, Act’ Mindset

Stop: Pause at any warning sign or unexpected request.
Think: Assess if the ask is genuine—don’t rely on urgency or “official-looking” messages.
Act: Proceed only after verifying. Protect your payment and personal information at every step.

“A few mindful steps—like double-checking links, payment details, and never sharing OTPs—can save you from the most common festive payment scams.” —NPCI Cybersecurity Team

FAQ – Festive Digital Payment Security

FAQs – Secure Payments During Sales

What are the most common digital payment scams during festive season?

Fake offers, UPI/payment phishing, fraudulent OTP requests, and clone websites are the top risks. Awareness and careful action are your best defense.

How can I verify if a deal or payment request is safe?

Never click on unknown links. Cross-check offers, payment requests, and sender details via official apps or direct calls to your bank/platform—instead of acting on SMS or email alone.

What if I suspect fraud?

Stop payment, report details to your bank, and alert the platform. Never authorize suspicious transactions; timely action can limit financial loss.

Internal links: Fintech Safety, UPI Guides, Festival Tech Security

Sources & Further Reading

Sources: India Technology News, NPCI Cybersecurity Alerts

Sneak peek: For the newest tricks and safety tactics, watch our seasonal fintech updates—and help yourself and your network shop and pay safely all year round!