Almost everyone in India has received a message like "Congratulations! You have won Rs 25 lakh", "Your electricity will be cut tonight at 9:30 pm", or "Earn Rs 5,000 a day by liking YouTube videos". These are scams, and they cost Indians a huge amount of money every year. The good news is that most scams follow the same few patterns. Once you learn to spot them, you can ignore them calmly. This is Part 25 of our Tech for Beginners series, and the start of a section on scams and cybersecurity. Today we will look at the most common online scams in India and a red-flag checklist that works for nearly all of them.
We have covered payment safety in Part 23 on UPI safety and Part 24 on cards and net banking. For a longer list of current tricks, see our guide to common online scams in India. If you think your phone itself has been compromised, read how to tell if your phone is hacked.
A note on changes: fraudsters change their stories all the time, using whatever is in the news. The examples below are common patterns, not a complete list. The red flags at the end matter more than any single example.
Why scams work
Scams do not usually depend on clever technology. They depend on emotions:
- Greed or hope: a prize, a job, easy profit or a cheap loan.
- Fear: your power will be cut, your account will be blocked, a family member is in trouble, or the police are after you.
- Urgency: "only 10 minutes left", "act now".
- Trust: the message uses a bank's name, a government logo, or the name of someone you know.
When you feel a strong emotion and a rush to act, that is the moment to slow down.
1. Fake job and "task" scams
You get a WhatsApp or Telegram message offering part-time work from home: like YouTube videos, rate hotels, review products or follow social media accounts. At first, you really are paid small amounts like Rs 50 or Rs 150, which builds trust. Then you are moved to a "VIP" or "prepaid" task, where you must deposit money to earn a bigger commission. Your "earnings" grow on a website screen, but when you try to withdraw, you are asked to pay more: a tax, a fee, or to finish one more task. The money never comes back.
How to spot it
- A genuine employer never asks you to pay money to get a job or to "unlock" your salary.
- Jobs offered by unknown numbers on WhatsApp or Telegram, especially from foreign country codes, are a warning sign.
- Very high pay for very easy work is not realistic.
2. Lottery, prize and gift messages
"You have won a car in the KBC lucky draw", "Your number won an iPhone", or "Claim your festival gift". To claim the prize, you are asked to pay a "processing fee", "GST" or "delivery charge", or to share your bank details.
How to spot it
- You cannot win a lottery or contest you never entered.
- Genuine prizes do not need you to pay first.
- Messages often have spelling mistakes, odd links and photos of celebrities or official-looking logos.
3. Electricity, gas and bill disconnection SMS
"Dear consumer, your electricity power will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm because your previous month bill was not updated. Please immediately contact our electricity officer" followed by a mobile number. When you call, the "officer" asks you to pay a small amount through a link or to install an app to "update" your account. The app may give them remote control of your phone.
How to spot it
- Electricity boards do not send disconnection notices from personal mobile numbers.
- Check your bill status only through your electricity board's official website or app, or the bill payment section of a trusted UPI app.
- Never install an app because a caller tells you to.
4. Instant loan app traps
Ads promise quick loans with no documents. The app asks for permission to read your contacts, photos and messages. The loan arrives with large hidden fees, a very short repayment period and high interest. If you delay, recovery agents threaten you and may message or call your contacts with abusive messages or edited photos.
How to spot it and stay safe
- Borrow only from banks or from apps of lenders regulated by the RBI. Check that the lender is a bank or registered NBFC, and that the app clearly names its lending partner.
- A genuine lender does not need access to your contacts or photo gallery.
- Read the total cost, fees and repayment date before accepting.
- If you are being harassed, report it at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930, and complain to the police. You can also report the app on the Play Store.
5. Investment and trading groups
You are added to a WhatsApp or Telegram group full of people posting screenshots of huge profits from stock tips, IPOs, crypto or forex trading. A "professor" or "mentor" shares free tips. You are then asked to install a special trading app or website and to deposit money. Your account shows big gains, but you cannot withdraw. Many of the "members" in the group are fake.
How to spot it
- Promises of guaranteed or very high returns, like 5% a day or doubling money in a month.
- Trading platforms you cannot find on the official exchange websites, or that ask you to send money to a personal bank account or UPI ID.
- Pressure to invest more before you can withdraw.
- In India, genuine investment advisers and brokers are registered with SEBI. You can check registration on SEBI's website.
6. Other common tricks
- Fake customer care numbers found through internet searches or social media.
- "Wrong number" or "relative in trouble" calls, sometimes using a voice that sounds like a family member.
- Fake selling and buying on marketplaces, where a "buyer" sends a QR code (see Part 23).
- Fake courier or customs calls claiming a parcel in your name contains illegal items. We will cover these in detail in the next part.
- Fake KYC update messages from your "bank" or "telecom company".
The red-flag checklist
Ask yourself these questions whenever a call, message or offer feels unusual. If the answer to any of them is yes, stop:
- Did they contact me first, out of nowhere?
- Are they rushing me or threatening a penalty?
- Are they asking for money first to receive a prize, job, refund or loan?
- Are they asking for an OTP, PIN, CVV or password?
- Are they asking me to install an app or click a link?
- Is the offer much better than normal?
- Are they asking me to keep it secret from family?
What to do when you see a scam
- Do not reply, click or call back the number in the message.
- Check independently. Call your bank or service provider using the number on their official website, card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before acting.
- Report and block. You can report suspected fraud calls and messages on the government's Sanchar Saathi portal or app through its Chakshu facility, and block the sender in WhatsApp or your SMS app.
- If you have lost money, call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in immediately, and inform your bank. We will explain the full reporting process in Part 28.
Protect your family
Scammers often target older parents, teenagers and people new to smartphones. Share this simple rule at home: "No one genuine will ask for money, an OTP or a PIN in a hurry. When in doubt, call a family member first." Consider putting a printed copy of the red-flag checklist near the phone charger.
For teenagers, talk about gaming and social media scams too: fake offers of free in-game currency, "verify your account" links, and strangers who build trust online and then ask for money or private photos. Tell them they will not be in trouble for telling you about a mistake. Fraudsters rely on embarrassment to keep victims silent.
Frequently asked questions
I clicked a scam link but did not enter anything. Am I safe?
Usually, simply opening a link does less harm than entering details or installing an app. Close the page, do not download anything, and keep your phone updated. If you installed an app or entered details, act on the steps in Part 27 and Part 28.
How do scammers get my number?
From data leaks, public listings, social media, shops and sometimes random dialling. Having your number does not let them take your money; tricking you does.
Is a message safe if it has an official logo?
No. Logos, names and photos are easy to copy. Judge the request, not the look.
What is next
Try this today: read the red-flag checklist aloud to one family member, and save 1930 in your phone. In the next part of Tech for Beginners, we will look at "digital arrest", fake KYC and impersonation calls, and exactly what to do if one comes your way.
