Technology News : During the festive season, people are busy shopping, traveling and making payments. In such a situation, fraudsters can force people to make hasty decisions by promising fake discounts, cashbacks, refunds or important updates. According to Quick Heal’s India Cyber Threat Report 2025, India recorded 369.01 million malware detections across 8.44 million endpoints, an average of 702 detections every minute. Therefore, taking some simple precautions during the festive season can go a long way in protecting against online fraud.
Messages like “Today only,” “Limited cashback,” and “Claim rewards now” become common during the holiday season. This is often intended to get users to click immediately without thinking. Before clicking on any offer received on WhatsApp, SMS, email or social media, review the link carefully. Beware of misspelled website names, strange URLs, unknown attachments, or messages asking for personal or banking information. Fake shopping websites can look like real websites. So, instead of buying from the link in the message, open the official website or app yourself and check the offer there.
Don’t rush UPI payments
As UPI payments increase during the festive season, the risk of UPI fraud may also increase. Scammers may lure you with the promise of refunds, cashback or rewards and ask you to approve a payment or scan a QR code. Remember, there is no need to enter UPI PIN to receive money through UPI. Be careful if someone asks you to scan a QR code or accept a collection request in the name of a refund or reward. Always check the receiver’s name and amount before making a payment. If anything seems suspicious, stop the transaction and seek information from the company or organization concerned.
Avoid fake customer care and phishing
Due to the increase in online orders during the festive season, messages regarding delivery updates, order confirmations and refunds are also more common. Cybercriminals can use these threats for phishing. For example, you may receive a message saying that your parcel has been stopped, payment has failed, or account verification is required.
The link in the message may take you to a fake website where passwords, card details or other personal information may be stolen. Fraudsters can also pose as customer care personnel and ask you to install an OTP or a remote access application. In such a case, instead of calling the number given in the message, manually search for the customer care number on the company’s official website.
Don’t trust everyone on the phone
Cyber fraud is not just about messages or links. A person may call claiming to be a bank official, delivery agent or customer care employee. Often, scammers already know some basic information about you, which makes them sound more credible. Never share your OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN or banking password over the phone. Be careful if someone claims your bank account will be blocked, payments will fail, or rewards will expire if you don’t act immediately. Fraudsters often force people to make bad decisions out of fear or haste.
Protect your phone before the festivities
During the festive season, smartphone usage for shopping, UPI payments, travel booking and communication increases significantly. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to phone security. Keep your phone’s operating system and all applications updated. Use a strong screen lock, and only download apps from official app stores. Also check the permissions given to apps from time to time and remove apps which are not needed.