Digital payments have become part of your everyday life, offering convenience that traditional banking rarely matches. But with this ease comes a bigger responsibility for platforms to keep your transactions safe.
As cyber frauds rise every year, your trust now depends on how well these services protect you. The Department of Telecommunications’ Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) is one such safeguard. It flags phone numbers linked to possible scams.
Platforms like Paytm and PhonePe have already adopted FRI, but Google Pay — which handles nearly a third of UPI transactions — still hasn’t. That leaves millions of users without the same protection.
Officials say FRI integration has helped prevent major financial losses, saving about ₹125 crore for PhonePe and ₹68 crore for Paytm within two months. Yet Google continues to rely on its in-house AI tool, DigiKavach, citing longer development timelines.
Experts question why both systems can’t run together. With 86% of Indian households online and UPI now the default mode of payment, cybersecurity isn’t optional anymore. Delays from major players only weaken India’s digital finance network.
