UPI AutoPay Mandate Scam on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

WhatsApp scams arrive from numbers you do not know, from a friend whose account was taken over, or from a group you were added to without asking. UPI AutoPay Mandate Scam is one of the ways this shows up: You approve a request that looks harmless, but it sets up a recurring UPI mandate that lets a scammer pull money again and again.

What upi autopay mandate scam looks like on WhatsApp

• A PDF, APK or image that must be opened to "see the details".
• A link that pretends to be a wa.me, courier or bank page.
• A message from an unknown number, often with a stock photo of a smiling person.

The scammer contacts you with a prize, a free trial or a discount. To claim it, you are asked to 'activate' it using a request in your UPI app. The request is called a mandate or autopay request, but the notification text is short and the amount may be low, such as Re 1 or Rs 5, so it does not look risky.

Red flags to check on the WhatsApp message

• An 'activation' request arrives for a prize or free offer.
• The request is described as a mandate, autopay or recurring payment.
• The charged amount is tiny but a higher maximum appears in the details.
• The caller wants you to approve while they stay on the line.
• A file ending in .apk arrives; never install it.
• Someone asks for the six-digit code WhatsApp sent you by SMS.

What to do

1. Decline the request and read every line before you approve any mandate.
2. Open your UPI app and check the section that lists autopay or mandates.
3. Cancel any mandate you do not recognise.
4. If it was a "friend", call them on the number you already have and ask.
5. Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp settings so a stolen SMS code is not enough.
6. Warn the group or family, and report the number on Sanchar Saathi if it is a scam call or message.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Cancel the mandate in your UPI app and note the merchant name and ID.
2. Call 1930 and give the transaction details.
3. Tell your bank through the number on your card or passbook to block further pulls.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots of the request.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's Money Shield checklist reminds you to read the screen before you pay, and the scam check can review a message that promises a free prize or activation and show the pressure signals. It cannot see inside your UPI app or cancel a mandate for you, so check the autopay list there yourself. Review the autopay list yourself and cancel anything you do not know.

Full guide: UPI AutoPay Mandate Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: fake app, SMS, phone call.

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