Aizawl: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has stepped up its digital safety awareness campaign to protect senior citizens as digital payment adoption rises among the elderly. The umbrella body flagged growing instances of cyber frauds such as digital arrest scams, fake investment schemes, phishing and vishing attempts, tech support frauds, and fraudulent refund links.
NPCI said in digital arrest scams, fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials, threaten arrest on fabricated charges and demand money or personal details. In investment frauds, scammers impersonate financial experts and use fake endorsements of reputed organisations to promise extraordinary returns. Phishing and vishing attempts involve fake emails, messages or calls seeking OTPs and login credentials. Tech support scams trick seniors into installing remote access apps, while fraudulent refund links redirect victims to fake pages that steal payment data.
The corporation advised seniors never to share UPI PINs, OTPs, passwords or bank details, and to avoid clicking unknown links or installing apps from callers. It urged verification of firms through SEBI and RBI websites, checking HTTPS domains, and resisting urgency around KYC, SIM blocking or pension suspension messages. Suspected frauds should be reported to the cybercrime helpline 1930, the Department of Telecommunications portal, and banks immediately.
In Aizawl, where UPI-based transactions are rapidly expanding across retail outlets and neighbourhood stores, bankers and traders say senior citizen awareness is critical. With digital payments driving daily commerce, stronger verification habits and prompt reporting can help safeguard savings while sustaining consumer confidence in the city’s growing cashless ecosystem.
