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Do not approve a UPI request just because a website or AI agent says it is necessary. Open your UPI app directly, check the payee or UPI ID, amount and purpose against a payment you intended to make, and enter your UPI PIN only if you choose to authorize that verified payment. A PIN is not needed to receive money, a refund or a reward.
How to check a UPI request before paying
- Pause the request. Do not tap Pay or enter your PIN while following a website’s or agent’s instructions. Leave the page or conversation and open your UPI app directly.
- Check the authorization screen. Compare the payee name or UPI ID, amount and stated purpose with the purchase or transfer you intended. NPCI’s guidance says online merchant requests are authorized by the user with a UPI PIN; the request itself is not proof that the payment is legitimate. NPCI’s UPI FAQ explains UPI payment requests and authorization.
- Confirm you initiated it. If you did not start the purchase or transfer, or cannot independently verify the recipient and amount, decline or leave the request pending. Do not rely on an agent’s explanation as verification of the payee.
NPCI says a transaction requires the user to open the payment request, select Pay and authorize it with a UPI PIN. Merely opening the UPI or bank app does not, by itself, approve a payment. NPCI’s 13 January 2025 press release describes those steps.
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Warning signs: PINs, QR codes and promises of money
Treat a request to scan a QR code or enter your UPI PIN to receive money, cashback, a refund or a prize as a strong warning sign. NPCI’s Fraud Awareness guidance says scanning a QR code and entering a UPI PIN is for making payments, not receiving them. Never disclose your PIN to a person, website or AI agent.
A QR code or collect request may be part of a legitimate payment flow, but it still requires you to examine what the UPI app is asking you to authorize. If the recipient, amount or reason does not match your intent, do not pay.
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What to do if you already approved the request
- Contact your bank promptly. Use the phone number or support channel listed in the bank’s official app or website. Share the transaction reference, payee details, time and any related website URL or messages.
- Report suspected cyber financial fraud. Use the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or call 1930. The portal also provides a route to report a suspect website URL.
- Raise an issue through your UPI app. NPCI says grievances can be raised through the participating app. Keep records of your report and the transaction details.
Act quickly, but do not assume a report guarantees recovery. NPCI’s FAQ says an initiated UPI payment cannot be stopped with a stop-payment request; the cited reporting routes do not promise reversal or recovery. See NPCI’s UPI FAQ.
Does an AI agent make a payment request safer?
No. Verify the actual payment details in the UPI app regardless of whether a human, website or AI agent explained the request. NPCI announced a pilot called UPI HELP on 8 October 2025: an AI-powered assistant for digital-payment queries that participating members could offer through channels such as bank customer interfaces, websites and chatbots. That announcement describes a support assistant; it does not certify arbitrary agents that initiate or explain payments. Read NPCI’s UPI HELP circular.
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Use app-specific controls where available
BHIM’s official feature list includes pending collect-request history, transaction issue reporting, and an option to block or mark users sending illicit collect requests. Those are BHIM features; other UPI apps may use different labels or workflows. Check BHIM’s listed features.
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