Phone calls
A family member’s voice on a call asking for money
Hang up and call them back on the number saved in your phone. A familiar voice can be copied from a short video.
The caller sounds like your child, parent, or boss. The story is an accident, a police station, customs, or a payment that must happen in the next few minutes. They tell you not to call anyone else. A short video from social media is enough for someone to copy a voice.
A check that takes one minute
Hang up, even if the voice is upset that you are hanging up.
Call that person on the number already saved in your phone. Do not use the number that just called you, and do not use a number they text a moment later.
Ask something a stranger would not know, or use a family word you agreed in advance.
If you cannot reach them, call another relative. Do not transfer money while you are still unsure.
Boss and office versions of the same call ask you to buy gift cards or change the bank account on an invoice. Stop and confirm on a number or email you have used before, not the one in the new message.
If the money has already gone, call 1930. The voice being familiar does not make the account you paid a family account. Check the name on the UPI receipt.
If money has already left your account, call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in. This page is awareness information. It does not file a complaint.