RBI has released a Discussion Paper on "Exploring Safeguards in Digital Payments to Curb Frauds".
Status of Digital Frauds
- Rising digital frauds: According to National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal Data, cyber fraud cases have risen from 2.6 lakh in 2021 to around 28 lakhs in 2025 - amounting to 22,931 crore rupees.
- Fraud Techniques: Use of bogus call centres, deepfake-driven impersonation scams, social engineering and mule account networks.
- Victims are manipulated using social engineering and they themselves initiate and authenticate transactions, leading to 'Authorised' Push-Payment (APP) frauds.
- Victim Profile: Disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, especially senior citizens.
RBI's Suggested Measures
- Time lag: 1-hour delay for transfers above ₹10,000 and payer can cancel payment within this window.
- A whitelisting mechanism will ensure that such time lag is bypassed for authentic transactions.
- Additional authentication for vulnerable users: High-value payments by senior citizens/divyang need approval from a trusted person.
- User control features: Option to switch on/off payment modes and set transaction limits.
- Curb mule accounts: Large credits allowed only after additional scrutiny of accounts.
