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Scam explainer

UPI, QR code and collect-request fraud also called UPI fraud, QR code scam, Collect request scam, Screen-sharing app fraud, Fake payment screenshot

Tricks that get you to enter your UPI PIN, scan a QR code or install a screen-sharing app when you think you are receiving money or a refund.

Published
Conceptual illustration: a payment phone, rupee coin and stopwatch. Text: UPI FRAUD? ACT FAST..

AI-generated illustration by CyberShitty. Not a photograph or a document from the organisations named.

How it works

  1. A 'buyer' on a marketplace, a 'refund' agent or a stranger says they want to pay you.
  2. They send a QR code to scan or a payment link, and say you need to enter your UPI PIN to receive the money.
  3. Entering the PIN actually sends money from your account.
  4. In other versions, a 'support agent' asks you to install a screen-sharing or remote-access app and then watches you type your PIN.
  5. Shopkeepers and sellers are also shown fake payment screenshots or SMS for money that never arrived.

Composite example, not a real case

The buyer who sent a QR code to 'pay' for a sofa

  1. Anil, 35, lists a used sofa on an online marketplace in Bengaluru. Within minutes a 'buyer' messages him and agrees to the price without bargaining.
  2. The buyer says he will pay in advance and sends a QR code, telling Anil to scan it and enter his UPI PIN to receive the money.
  3. Anil scans the code and enters his PIN. Instead of receiving money, the amount is sent from his account to the scammer.
  4. The buyer says it was a mistake and sends another code 'to refund it'. Anil stops, checks his UPI app and sees the debit.
  5. He calls 1930, reports the transaction to his bank and in his UPI app, and files on cybercrime.gov.in with the transaction ID.

Who gets targeted

Anyone who uses UPI, and especially people selling goods online or running a shop, who expect payments from strangers. People searching for a refund or customer care number are also targeted.

Red flags

  • Any request for your UPI PIN when you are supposed to receive money; you never need a PIN to receive.
  • Being asked to scan a QR code 'to get paid'.
  • Requests to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or similar apps for 'support' or a 'refund'.
  • A payment screenshot that does not show up in your own bank or UPI app.
  • Urgency: 'do it now or the refund will lapse'.

What to do

  • Call 1930 immediately and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in; quick reports give the best chance of freezing money.
  • Report the transaction to your bank and in your UPI app, and block UPI if your PIN may be exposed.
  • Uninstall any screen-sharing or remote-access app you installed at a stranger's request.
  • Change your UPI PIN from a clean device.
  • Always confirm a payment in your own app or bank statement before handing over goods.

How to protect yourself

  • Remember that your UPI PIN is only needed to send money. RBI says receiving money never requires you to scan a QR code or enter your PIN.
  • Before you enter your PIN, read the screen: it shows money leaving your account. If you expected to receive money, cancel.
  • Never install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or any screen-sharing app at a caller's request, whether they say they are from a bank, an app or a shop.
  • Find customer care numbers only on the official website or app. RBI warns that fake helpline numbers appear in search results and on social media.
  • If you sell goods, check the payment in your own UPI app or bank statement before handing anything over. A screenshot or SMS is not proof.
  • Never share your UPI PIN or OTP with anyone, whoever they say they are.

Official tools, explained

Step-by-step guideLost money in a UPI fraud? What to do in the first hour, and how to complain on 1930

The numbers

Reported UPI fraud losses peaked in FY24 and have eased since. NPCI stopped person-to-person UPI collect requests from 1 October 2025 (Outlook Business/PTI), but QR-code, screen-sharing and fake-screenshot tricks continue.

Questions people ask

Do I need my UPI PIN to receive money?

No. You enter your UPI PIN only to send money. Anyone who asks for your PIN so that you can receive a payment or refund is trying to take money from you.

Is it safe to receive money via a QR code?

Scanning a QR code is a way to pay, not to get paid. RBI says receiving money never requires you to scan a QR code, so a code sent to you 'to receive money' is a scam.

Do UPI collect requests still exist?

NPCI stopped person-to-person collect requests from 1 October 2025. Whatever form a payment request takes, entering your UPI PIN approves money going out of your account.

A buyer sent me a payment screenshot. Can I trust it?

Not on its own. Fake screenshots and SMS are a common trick. Confirm the money has arrived in your own UPI app or bank statement before handing over goods.

Will my bank refund me if I was tricked?

Report to your bank in writing and call 1930 at once. Under RBI's current rules, if you shared your PIN or OTP you bear the loss until you report it. From 1 January 2027, if you were tricked and lost up to ₹50,000, you can get one-time compensation of 85% of the net loss, up to ₹25,000, if you report to your bank and 1930 within 5 calendar days.

Desk coverage

Sources

The example on this page is a composite built from how this scam is reported to work. It does not describe a real person.

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