Shoppers celebrating Raksha Bandhan are warned as scammers ramp up attacks with fake offers, courier alerts, and AI-driven impersonation, prompting calls for increased vigilance and cybersecurity measures.
Festival shoppers are being warned to stay alert as cyber fraudsters step up attacks around Raksha Bandhan, using fake offers, courier alerts and payment traps to catch people off guard. The warning is timely because holiday periods often give scammers a better chance of persuading users to click quickly, trust familiar-looking messages and skip basic checks.
According to the advisory cited by Aaj Tak, one common tactic is the fake gift link, which may lead to malware, APK files or requests for banking details. Fraudsters are also said to be circulating bogus Rakhi discounts, including offers of as much as 80 or 90 per cent off, in order to push victims on to false payment pages or misleading shopping apps.
Courier scams are another risk, with criminals posing as delivery services and asking for OTPs or address updates. UPI users are also being targeted through refund scams and collect-request tricks, where a victim is pressured into approving a payment instead of receiving money. The wider pattern is consistent with guidance from McAfee and other cyber-safety specialists, who say phishing messages, urgent demands and unfamiliar links remain among the most common ways fraud begins.
Security experts recommend avoiding unknown links, never entering a UPI PIN to receive money and remembering that a payment can be collected without scanning a QR code in reverse. Users should also keep OTPs, ATM PINs and UPI credentials private, shop only through official platforms and turn on extra protections such as two-step verification and regular transaction monitoring.
Rajasthan cybercrime police have separately warned that festival-themed frauds often arrive through WhatsApp messages, fake APK files and courier alerts, while broader scam guides in 2026 point to increasingly convincing impersonation tactics, including AI-assisted voice and video fraud. The practical advice remains the same: slow down, verify the sender and report suspicious activity promptly.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
