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Payment fraud

UPI Collect Request Scam

A collect request can make you approve money leaving your account. Scammers frame it as a refund, prize, buyer payment, deposit return, or verification step.

if you got this

Treat it as a scam until you check. Don’t click, pay or share a code. Do not approve the request.

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what it looks like

Forwarded

Approve this collect request and enter UPI PIN to receive the refund instantly.

The scam depends on confusion about payment direction. The victim thinks a PIN is required to receive money.

red flags

  • UPI PIN requested for receiving money
  • QR code or collect request sent by a stranger
  • Refund, prize, marketplace, courier, or job script
  • Small test request followed by a larger request
  • Pressure to approve before the offer expires
  • A request that needs your UPI PIN to supposedly receive money
  • Cashback, refund, or lottery framing on an incoming collect request

if it’s happening now

  1. Do not approve the request.
  2. Read the payment app screen carefully: pay, send, collect, mandate, or autopay.
  3. If approved, contact your bank/payment app immediately.
  4. Save screenshots and transaction IDs.
Already clicked, paid or shared something?

Don’t

  • Do not enter UPI PIN to receive money.
  • Do not scan QR codes from strangers for refunds.
  • Do not share payment app screen recordings.

Save this evidence

  • Payment request screenshot
  • UPI ID, receiver name, and amount
  • Chat messages around the request
  • Transaction ID if money moved

Stop it happening again

  • Teach the rule: UPI PIN means money can leave.
  • Decline unknown collect requests.
  • Keep payment app notifications enabled.
  • Memorize the one rule that defeats this scam: receiving money never needs your UPI PIN.
  • Decline unknown collect requests by default; a genuine payer can always send a normal payment.

questions people ask

Can I receive money by scanning a QR code?

Usually no. QR scans commonly start a payment flow. For receiving money, the sender should send to your UPI ID or phone number without asking for your PIN.

What should I do after approving a fake request?

Contact your bank or payment app immediately, save the transaction ID, and report cyber fraud through official channels.

Do I need to enter my UPI PIN to receive money?

Never. The PIN authorizes money leaving your account. Any flow that says enter your PIN to receive is taking money from you.

I approved a collect request by mistake. Can I reverse it?

Report it immediately in your UPI app, complain to your bank, call 1930, and file at cybercrime.gov.in. Recovery is not guaranteed, which is why speed matters.

What is the difference between a payment and a collect request?

A payment moves money you initiate. A collect request is someone asking to pull money from you, and approving it with your PIN completes their withdrawal.

Last reviewed 14 July 2026.