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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →An unexpected UPI collect request is a request for you to pay—not a way for someone to send you money. Don’t approve a request you don’t recognize, enter your UPI PIN to receive money, or scan a QR code at someone’s instruction. If you already approved a suspicious payment or see an unexpected debit, contact your bank promptly, report it in your UPI app, and call 1930 or use the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
What is a UPI collect request?
A collect request asks you to authorize a payment from your account. Check the amount and payee shown in the request; approve it only if you recognize it and intend to pay. NPCI’s UPI FAQ explains that entering your UPI PIN completes payment after a collect request.
A UPI PIN authorizes a transaction. It is not needed to receive money, and NPCI says bank customer support will never ask you to disclose it. Likewise, scanning a QR code and entering your PIN makes a payment rather than receiving one, as NPCI explains in its fraud-awareness guidance. Don’t follow a caller’s instructions to use a PIN, QR code, or link to claim a refund, prize, sale proceeds, or incoming transfer.
What should I do if the request is still pending?
- Decline or leave it pending if the request is unexpected, unclear, or from someone you cannot independently verify.
- Don’t share your UPI PIN, OTP, or other credentials.
- Don’t scan a QR code or follow a link to receive money.
- If you think the request might be genuine, verify it with the purported sender using a separate, trusted contact method before deciding whether to pay.
Simply opening a UPI or bank app does not approve a payment. In a January 2025 clarification, NPCI said a user must go to the request, choose “pay,” and authorize it with the UPI PIN. That does not make an unfamiliar request safe: inspect its details before authorizing anything. See NPCI’s clarification.
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What should I do if I approved it or money was debited?
- Contact your bank immediately. Use the number or reporting channel in the official bank app, on your card, or on the bank’s website—not contact details supplied by a suspicious caller. Report the transaction as suspected fraud or unauthorized and ask the bank to record your complaint and advise on protecting the account.
- Raise a complaint in the UPI app. Open transaction history, select the payment, and use its help or complaint option if available. NPCI says users can raise grievances or check transaction status through a participating UPI app. The exact labels vary by app.
- Report suspected financial cyber fraud. Call 1930 or file a report through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
- Keep the evidence. Have the transaction ID and date, bank or wallet name, relevant UPI or account details, screenshots, and any complaint acknowledgements ready. Preserve relevant messages, call details, and payment notifications while the complaint is being reviewed.
If you entered your PIN after being misled, still report the payment promptly and ask the bank to assess it under the applicable rules. Don’t assume that every scam-related payment will automatically be classified as unauthorized or reimbursed.
Which reporting channel should I use?
| Channel | Purpose | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Bank | Report the suspected debit, have the complaint recorded, and ask about account protection and the bank’s assessment. | Immediately if money has been taken or you suspect an unauthorized transaction. |
| UPI app | Raise a transaction-specific grievance or check transaction status through the app’s help feature. | Alongside contacting the bank when a UPI transaction is involved. |
| 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal | Report suspected financial cyber fraud to the government’s cybercrime reporting channel. | When money has been taken in a suspected financial cyber fraud. |
| NPCI complaint page | Facilitate transaction-status complaints routed to member institutions. | For an appropriate transaction-status complaint; NPCI says fraudulent, unidentified, or unauthorized transactions should be raised with your bank. |
These routes are not interchangeable. The bank handles the account and transaction report; the app offers transaction-level support; and 1930 or the portal reports suspected financial cybercrime. NPCI’s UPI FAQ and dispute-redressal information describe the relevant UPI complaint options.
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Will the bank refund the money?
Not automatically. The outcome depends on what happened, including whether payment credentials were shared and when the bank was notified. The Reserve Bank of India’s 2017 customer-protection directions distinguish among cases rather than guaranteeing reimbursement for every scam.
- If customer negligence, such as sharing payment credentials, caused the loss, the customer bears the loss until reporting it to the bank; subsequent loss is borne by the bank under the directions.
- For a qualifying third-party breach elsewhere in the system, with neither the bank nor customer at fault, reporting within three working days of receiving the bank’s transaction communication can result in zero liability.
- For that type of case, reporting after three but within seven working days may mean capped liability. Later reporting is handled under the bank’s board-approved policy.
- The directions provide for a shadow credit within 10 working days in qualifying zero- or limited-liability cases.
The bank must assess the facts and applicable rules. If you knowingly entered your PIN to make a payment but were deceived about its purpose, report it promptly and ask the bank to assess the case; the information above does not establish a universal recovery outcome for that situation.
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