Festival scam calendar: October–November 2026 dates and the scams that ride on them

Illustrative stock image via Unsplash. It does not depict the organisations named.

Navratri, Diwali, Chhath and the wedding season bring their own scams, and so do the LPG, UPI fee, tax and pension dates. Each date, checked against official lists where we could, with the scam to expect and the guide to use. Updated as dates are confirmed.

01 / How to use this calendar

Scammers plan around the same dates you do. Festivals bring sales, crowds, travel and weddings, and deadlines bring messages telling you to act now. Below, each date from 1 October to 30 November 2026 comes with the scam to expect and the guide that tells you what to do.

How to read the labels. Confirmed means an official source: the central government's 2026 holiday list (from DoPT, the Department of Personnel and Training), a ministry, a regulator, or the company running a sale. Reported means the media, or a panchang publisher such as Drik Panchang for festival dates that are not on the government list. Panchang dates can differ by a day between traditions and cities.

We update this page as dates are confirmed. It was last checked on 2 October 2026. Already paid, shared a code or installed something? Go to section 07.

02 / 1–10 October: LPG, pensions, frozen accounts and the big sales

• Thursday, 1 October: the LPG e-KYC rule is in force. Confirmed by the petroleum ministry: from 1 October, booking a subsidised LPG refill needs biometric Aadhaar authentication (e-KYC). You do it in your oil company's app, at your distributor or when your cylinder is delivered. It is free, All India Radio and The Tribune reported. Scam to expect: calls, SMS and apps saying your gas connection is 'blocked' unless you share an OTP, pay or install something. ICICI Bank warned its customers about fake LPG KYC and subsidy links in July 2026. Our LPG e-KYC guide.
• Thursday, 1 October: life certificates open for pensioners aged 80 and above. Confirmed in the rules of the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO): central government civil pensioners aged 80 or above may submit their life certificate from 1 October; those under 80 submit in November. The Economic Times reported on 29 September that the pension department had not yet announced its 2026 dates. Scam to expect: a call offering to 'update' your life certificate that asks for your PPO (Pension Payment Order) number, bank details and then an OTP. CPAO says no bank or government agency calls about the life certificate. Our life certificate guide.
• Friday, 2 October: last day for comments on RBI's draft rules for account holds. Confirmed by RBI: it invited comments until 2 October 2026 on draft rules for the 'temporary debit holds' that banks place on money or accounts linked to money-mule activity, where bank accounts are used to move scam money, and it will issue final rules after examining the feedback. Scam to expect: we have found no police or bank report yet of a scam tied to the draft. If your account has been frozen, do not pay anyone who offers to 'unfreeze' it; our guide sets out the free routes. Our frozen account guide.
• Thursday, 8 and Friday, 9 October: the big online sales. Confirmed by Amazon: its Great Indian Festival starts on 8 October. Reported by Digit and Goodreturns: Flipkart's Big Billion Days opens to everyone on 9 October, with early access from 8 October for Plus, Black and Flipkart credit card members. Scam to expect: lookalike shopping sites, 'lucky draw' and gift links, and fake delivery SMS. In September, PIB Fact Check, the government's fact-checking unit, called a 'Dak Seva Gifts' message fake and said India Post has no connection to any such gift or lucky-draw scheme, Akashvani reported. Our festive sale guide.

03 / 11–20 October: Navratri, the UPI fee and Durga Puja

• Sunday, 11 to Tuesday, 20 October: Sharad Navratri. Reported: these are the dates in Drik Panchang's New Delhi calendar. Scam to expect: fake garba passes and 'rent a garba partner' ads. In September, Ahmedabad's cyber crime cell warned that such ads can lead to honeytraps, that the payment link itself can be used for fraud, and that APK files (Android apps sent outside the app store) sent as a 'partner's details' can let fraudsters into your phone, IANS and Gujarat Samachar reported. Our Navratri garba guide.
• Thursday, 15 October: the new UPI fee for merchants. From 15 October, some merchants pay a fee of 0.4% on UPI payments above ₹2,000. Confirmed: the Finance Ministry set out the fee on 15 September, and PIB Fact Check, the government's fact-checking unit, referred to 'the UPI fee roll-out on 15 October' in a post of 23 September. The Hindu reported the same start date, citing the circular of NPCI (the National Payments Corporation of India). The Finance Ministry also says the fee is not a charge on customers, and sending money to people stays free at any amount. Scam to expect: we have found no police or bank report yet of frauds using the fee, so treat these only as warning signs: a 'UPI fee waiver' link, or a message or call telling you to 'reactivate' UPI, register or pay to keep it free. On 28 September the Supreme Court gave the government, RBI and NPCI four weeks to reply to a petition against the fee, The Hindu reported, so expect rumours of a 'rollback' or 'new fees' in late October. Our UPI fee guide.
• Sunday, 18 to Tuesday, 20 October: Durga Puja and Dussehra. Confirmed in the government's holiday list: Saptami (18 October), Mahashtami (19 October) and Mahanavami (20 October) are restricted holidays, and Dussehra on Tuesday, 20 October is a gazetted holiday. Scam to expect: phone theft in crowds. In October 2025, police in Jamshedpur arrested 33 members of a gang that had come to snatch phones, chains and purses during Durga Puja, PTI reported. In August 2026, Mumbai police registered cases after phones and chains were stolen at a Ganpati procession, the Free Press Journal reported. If your phone goes, block your bank access before you go looking for it. Our lost or stolen phone checklist.

04 / 21–31 October: a tax deadline and pension reminders

• Wednesday, 21 October: tax audit reports due. Confirmed by a circular of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) dated 28 September: the date for tax audit reports for assessment year 2026-27 is now 21 October. It was 30 September, The Times of India reported. It applies only to taxpayers covered by tax audit. Scam to expect: 'refund pending' or 'urgent action required' messages with a link to a fake tax site. The Income Tax Department warned about these in February 2026, Business Today reported. Check a refund only by logging in at incometax.gov.in yourself. Our tax refund scam guide.
• Saturday, 24 October: the first genuine life certificate reminders. Confirmed in CPAO's rules: banks are to send pensioners an SMS or email on 24 October and on 1, 15 and 25 November, reminding them to submit the life certificate by 30 November. This covers central government civil pensioners paid through banks. A genuine reminder does not ask for an OTP, and nobody submits the certificate for you over the phone. If a call follows a reminder, hang up and call your bank on the number in your passbook. Our life certificate guide.

05 / 1–11 November: pension month and Diwali week

• Sunday, 1 November: life certificate month begins. Confirmed: CPAO's rules make November the month for central government civil pensioners, and the government's nationwide Digital Life Certificate campaign ran from 1 to 30 November in 2025, PIB said. The pension department had not announced its 2026 submission dates by 29 September, the Economic Times reported, and we found no 2026 campaign announcement by 2 October. Scam to expect: the fake 'pension office' call that asks for your PPO number and an OTP. Our life certificate guide.
• Friday, 6 November: Dhanteras. Reported: the date in Drik Panchang's New Delhi calendar. If you plan to buy 'digital gold' on an app or website, note SEBI's caution of November 2025 (Confirmed): such products are not regulated by SEBI, and none of the securities market's investor protection mechanisms apply to them. Expect gift and 'lucky draw' links too. Our festive sale guide.
• Sunday, 8 November: Diwali. Confirmed: Diwali is a gazetted holiday on Sunday, 8 November. Govardhan Puja is on Monday, 9 November in the government's restricted list, but on Tuesday, 10 November in Drik Panchang's calendar (Reported). Bhai Dooj is on Wednesday, 11 November in both. Scam to expect: gift and 'lucky draw' links, and prizes you must pay a fee to claim. CERT-In, the national cyber security agency, describes such prize scams in its advisory on online scams. Our festive sale guide. Travelling home for the festival? Our train ticket scam guide.

06 / 12–30 November: Chhath, weddings and two deadlines

• Sunday, 15 November: Chhath Puja. Confirmed in the government's restricted holiday list; Drik Panchang gives the same date. Scam to expect: train ticket fraud around Diwali and Chhath travel. IRCTC has warned about phishing links that push a fake 'IRCTC Rail Connect' app, Business Today reported in 2023. We have not found a 2026 advisory from IRCTC or the Railway Protection Force. Book only on irctc.co.in, the official app or at a railway counter, and do not pay anyone who promises a confirmed seat that IRCTC cannot show you. Our train ticket scam guide.
• Friday, 20 and Saturday, 21 November: wedding dates return. Reported: Drik Panchang's New Delhi calendar puts Devutthana Ekadashi on Friday, 20 November (Saturday, 21 November for the Vaishnava fast). Its 2026 list of wedding dates has none in October, and its first in November is Saturday, 21 November, followed by 24 to 26 November. Scam to expect: a 'Wedding Invitation.apk' file sent on WhatsApp. CERT-In flagged this lure in June 2025. In September 2026, a 74-year-old man in Ahmedabad lost ₹15.5 lakh after opening such a file, according to his police complaint, The Times of India reported. Got an invitation as a file? Call the sender before you open it. Already installed one? The first-hour steps.
• Saturday, 21 November: tax return deadline for audit cases. Confirmed in the same CBDT circular: for taxpayers covered by tax audit, the return deadline for assessment year 2026-27 moved from 31 October to 21 November. Expect more fake refund messages before it. Our tax refund scam guide.
• Monday, 30 November: life certificate deadline. Confirmed in CPAO's rules: central government civil pensioners are reminded to submit by 30 November. Banks list those who missed it on 1 December and send them another SMS or email. The fraud plays on the fear that your pension will stop. Go to your bank, or use an official route, yourself. Our life certificate guide.

07 / Tricked? What to do now

• Money has gone: call 1930 now, then your bank on its official number (bank fraud helplines), then complete the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. Our lost-money checklist takes you through the first hour, step by step.
• Shared an OTP, PIN or card details, but no money has gone: call your bank and block UPI, cards and net banking, then change your PINs and passwords. If money leaves later, call 1930 at once.
• Installed an app from a link or a file: switch on flight mode; from another phone, call 1930 if money has gone and get your bank to block UPI and net banking; then remove the app in Safe Mode. The first-hour steps.
• Phone lost or stolen: from another phone, get your bank to block UPI and net banking first, then lock the phone and block the SIM. The full checklist.
• No money lost: report the call, SMS or WhatsApp message on Chakshu, on the government's Sanchar Saathi portal (how to report).
• Ignore anyone who offers to 'recover' your money for a fee: what recovery really looks like.

08 / Confirmed, reported and left out

Confirmed (official documents): the gazetted and restricted holidays, from DoPT's 2026 list; the LPG rule (petroleum ministry); RBI's comment deadline for its draft rules on account holds (RBI); the life certificate dates, reminders and warning (CPAO) and the 2025 campaign dates (PIB); the tax deadlines (CBDT circular 07/2026); the UPI fee and that it is not a charge on customers (Finance Ministry); the 15 October start of the UPI fee (PIB Fact Check); Amazon's sale date (Amazon); SEBI's digital gold caution; CERT-In's warnings; ICICI Bank's LPG warning.

Reported: the dates of Navratri, Dhanteras, Devutthana Ekadashi and weddings, and Govardhan Puja on 10 November, from Drik Panchang, a panchang publisher, not an official source; Flipkart's dates (Digit, Goodreturns); that LPG e-KYC is free (All India Radio, The Tribune); NPCI's circular on the UPI fee start and the Supreme Court hearing (The Hindu); the earlier 30 September audit date (The Times of India); everything else attributed to a news outlet in the text. Those arrested are accused, not convicted.

Left out, because we could not verify a 2026 date or a documented scam: Karwa Chauth gift offers, Diwali cracker sale sites, the dearness allowance announcement, charity drives, cricket fixtures, exam results, elections and any 2026 IRCTC or Railway Protection Force travel advisory. We will add them if they are verified. Guru Nanak's Birthday on Tuesday, 24 November is a gazetted holiday, but we found no scam tied to it. Not available: an official count of festival-linked fraud complaints or losses.