DekhbhaalCommon phone scams against older parents
Older people are the first target of phone scams in India. Almost every one of them breaks one of three rules. Teach your parents these three, and most of the scams below fail.
Last updated 21 October 2026, by the Dekhbhaal team.
No OTP, ever
No bank, wallet or government office ever asks for an OTP, a PIN or a password on a call.
No arrest on a call
No police, CBI or court questions or arrests anyone over a video call, or asks for money.
Hang up, call back
When in doubt, hang up and call back on a number you already have: the bank's, the board's, the family's.
The scams, one by one
Digital arrest
There is no such thing as a digital arrest.
Electricity bill
An SMS saying your electricity will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm unless you call an "electricity officer" is a scam.
KYC update
A message or call saying your bank account, card, wallet or SIM will be blocked today unless you update KYC through a link is a scam.
A relative in trouble
A call from a grandson, nephew or child who has had an accident or been arrested and needs money now, and says don't tell anyone, is a common scam, sometimes with an AI copy of their voice.
Fake bank calls
A caller from the "bank" who asks for an OTP, to stop a payment, reverse a charge, redeem reward points or upgrade a card, is a scammer.
UPI scams
You never need to enter a UPI PIN or scan a QR code to receive money.
If money has already gone
- Call 1930 now. It is India's national cyber-fraud helpline. The first hour matters most: the sooner 1930 hears, the better the chance the money can be held before it moves on.
- Call the bank on the number printed on the back of the card or in the bank's own app, and ask them to block the card or account.
- File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, with the number that called, the time, and any screenshots.
- Report the number on Chakshu, at sancharsaathi.gov.in, so it can be checked and cut off.
And tell your parent it is not their fault. These callers do this all day, and they are good at it. A parent who feels foolish is less likely to tell you next time.
Questions
What is the number to call if money is lost to a scam in India?
Call 1930, India's national cyber-fraud helpline, at once; the first hour matters most. Then call the bank on its official number, and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.
How can I protect my parents from phone scams?
Teach three rules: no bank or government office ever asks for an OTP, a PIN or money on a call; no police officer arrests anyone over a video call; and when in doubt, hang up and call back on a number you already have. Agree a family code word for calls from relatives in trouble. And give them someone to ask before they pay.
Someone to ask, right then
Rules are easier to know than to follow when a caller is shouting. Dekhbhaal is an AI caretaker on your parent's phone: before they pay, tap a link or share an OTP, they hang up and ask it, by voice or with a screenshot. It says plainly whether it's a fraud, says don't pay yet when it isn't sure, and tells you about a near miss at once. How the scam guard works.