Pusaram

Fraud safety library

How common money scams work, the warning signs, and what to do. Written without blame.

Fraud works by making you hurry, scaring you, or flattering you, so that you act before you think. It can happen to anyone, on any day, and it is the fraudster's skill, not the victim's carelessness, that does the damage.

Three habits stop most of it: pause, check through a channel you found yourself, and never share codes, PINs or passwords. This library describes common patterns so you can recognise them early.

Six rules that stop most fraud

  • No genuine bank, government office or company will ask for your OTP, PIN, password or card verification code.
  • You never need to enter your UPI PIN, or any payment PIN, to receive money.
  • Urgency, secrecy and fear are the main tools. A request that says 'do it now and tell no one' is a warning in itself.
  • Check by calling or visiting using details you find yourself, not those in the message or the caller's number.
  • Paying a fee to receive a prize, loan or refund is a sign of fraud.
  • If you have already paid or shared something, act at once. Speed often decides whether money can be stopped.

Common patterns

If it has already happened

  • Call your bank or card issuer straight away and ask them to block the card, account or payment. Use the number on the card or the official website.
  • Change passwords for any account that may be affected, starting with email and banking. Turn on two-step verification.
  • Report it to the authorities (see the list below). Keep screenshots, phone numbers, account details, transaction IDs and times.
  • Tell someone you trust. Shame keeps fraud hidden and helps the next victim's fraudster. You did nothing wrong by being targeted.
  • Be careful about 'recovery' offers afterwards. Fraudsters often contact past victims promising to get money back for a fee.

Where to report

Other countries: use your police cyber-crime unit and your bank. Tell us if we should add yours.

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