eNews
NPCI urges seniors to stay sharp as digital payment scams surge
Simple rules to beat fraud and pay safely every day
GOA: Digital payments have revolutionised life for senior citizens, making grocery runs, pharmacy pickups, and travel bookings a breeze. Independence is back in fashion: no more hassling family for small daily spends. Cash stays in the wallet, risk of theft drops, and every transaction is neatly logged.
But where convenience thrives, scammers lurk. Fraudsters are increasingly targeting older users with cunning tricks. One common ruse is the so-called digital arrest scam. Fraudsters posing as law enforcement agents threaten arrest unless money or personal information is handed over. The rule of thumb: real authorities never call to collect cash or press for immediate action.
Investment fraud is another pitfall. Impersonators pose as financial experts, often dangling fake endorsements from reputed organisations and promising extraordinary returns. Once the money is transferred, the fraudsters vanish. If an investment sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Seniors are advised to check SEBI, RBI, or official regulatory websites for legitimacy before parting with a single rupee.
Phishing and vishing scams have also surged. Emails, texts, or calls impersonate banks or government agencies, coaxing seniors into revealing login details, OTPs, or passwords. Similarly, tech support scams exploit fear: callers claim a virus has infected your computer, tricking users into downloading files or apps that give hackers remote access to steal data.
Refund and payment link fraud is another trap. A seemingly harmless link promising a rebate or refund can instead route seniors to a fake page designed to steal login or payment information. The mantra here is simple: don’t click unknown links, and never install apps or give control to strangers posing as authorities.
The remedy is straightforward but vital. Never share UPI PINs, OTPs, passwords, bank details, or login credentials. Pause when urgency is created, accounts “blocked today”, SIMs “expiring”, pensions “paused”, all pressure tactics. Real institutions allow time for verification. Always verify unexpected legal or investment messages calmly, and involve family or trusted neighbours before acting on any instructions from unknown callers.
If fraud is suspected, seniors should report it immediately to the national cybercrime helpline (1930), the Department of Telecommunication portal (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/), and their bank. Save messages, take screenshots, and document every interaction.
Digital payments are powerful, safe, and here to stay. Stay alert, verify calmly, and swipe with confidence. Don’t give scammers the thrill, they’re fast, but you can be faster.
eNews
Paisabazaar launches Credit Premier League 2.0
Nationwide campaign rewards highest credit scores with Rs 1 lakh top prize.
MUMBAI: When credit scores become a national league, even your CIBIL report starts feeling like it’s playing in the IPL and Paisabazaar has just kicked off the second season. Paisabazaar, India’s leading marketplace for financial products and the country’s largest free credit score platform, has announced the return of the Credit Premier League (CPL) 2.0, a fun, nationwide initiative to recognise and reward individuals with the highest credit scores.
Building on the success of the first edition, CPL 2.0 introduces higher rewards and broader participation. The individual(s) with the highest credit score in the country will win Rs 1 lakh, while state champions will each receive Rs 10,000. Additionally, all participants from the winning state, the one with the highest average credit score will also be rewarded.
All winnings will be credited directly to winners’ PB Wallet, allowing them to pay credit card bills, recharge mobiles, or settle utility bills seamlessly on the Paisabazaar platform.
Paisabazaar CEO Santosh Agarwal said the campaign aims to make credit awareness more engaging and mainstream. “With CPL, we are bringing together engagement, gamification and rewards to make conversations around credit scores more mainstream,” he noted. “Our focus remains on building a financially aware and credit-healthy Bharat.”
The first edition of CPL saw over 5.5 million participants, with the highest individual score touching 861. Delhi recorded the highest average credit score of 746.
Consumers can participate simply by checking their free credit score on the Paisabazaar platform or app. The CPL leaderboard and rankings will be available exclusively on the Paisabazaar App.
In a country where financial dreams are serious business, Paisabazaar has found a smart way to turn credit scores into an exciting game – because when your financial health gets rewarded, everyone wants to play.
