Unified Payments Interface, UPI transactions has pros to this UPI mode of transaction, there is one huge downside of being scammed by fraudsters by misusing UPI. 
There have been thousands of news of people’s UPI accounts being scammed through hacking and multiple other ways as well. Technology has progressed a lot, and such hacking methods are not difficult for cybercriminals.
UPI Frauds:-
There are multiple apps through which people are now using UPI medium to transfer money and carry out transactions, such as Paytm, Google Pay, BHIM, and many more. 
Recently, there was a case where a BHIM app user was robbed off of Rs. 40,000. The unsuspecting 21-year-old talked to some representatives of the call center, however, he later found out that the call center was fake. 
RBI’s cybersecurity and IT examination cell issued warning against an app, AnyDesk, that was used by fraudsters to loot money. This app worked as a Remote Access service to illegally copy data from smartphones. Once an OTP was read by the app, hard-earned money is down the drain in seconds. 
How To Protect Your UPI Account?
It is crucial to take precautions and protect our UPI and bank accounts from being hacked. Here are some basic precautions you can take to ensure that your account is safe and secure:
  • Beware of fake call centers. Make sure you are calling up the legal and official numbers of call centers in case there is any issue in the transactions carried out through an app or bank accounts.
  • Do not divulge your credentials of bank accounts, UPI ids and passwords to anyone. If someone is asking you for such sensitive information, be warned. A mobile number and an email ID is sufficient to provide to a merchant.  
  • Before you carry out a transaction with a merchant or a seller, make sure you go through reviews and comments. Go through with the transaction only if the second party is safe, and this can be checked through the presence or absence of trust seals.
  • Secure your smartphones. Install necessary apps, such as an antivirus or a malware, that will ensure that your phone will not be hacked into. Also, put up a password on every account, every app that contains such sensitive information. Make sure you put up secure passwords and keep changing them over regular intervals. Go here to learn about creating strong passwords.