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UPI scams: "I sent you money by mistake" and "scan this to receive"

You never need to enter a UPI PIN, or scan a QR code, to receive money. A PIN is only ever for money going out. So a request to "enter your PIN to receive", or to scan a code to get paid, is a scam. And a message saying someone sent money "by mistake" means nothing until the bank's own app shows it.

Last updated 21 October 2026, by the Dekhbhaal team.

The three common tricks

  1. "Sent by mistake". An SMS that looks like a bank credit arrives, then a call: "I sent ₹5,000 to your number by mistake, please send it back." No money ever came; the SMS was fake. Sometimes a real small amount was sent, and the "refund" asked for is far bigger.
  2. A collect request. A request appears in the UPI app, described as a refund, a cashback or a prize. Approving it with the PIN sends the money out.
  3. "Scan this to receive". A "buyer" for something your parent is selling sends a QR code to scan "to receive the payment". Scanning and entering the PIN pays them instead.

How to tell it's a fraud

What to do right now

If money has already gone

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, with the number that called, the time, and any screenshots.
  4. 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.

How Dekhbhaal helps

Dekhbhaal is an AI caretaker on your parent's phone, for sons and daughters who live far away. Your parent shares a screenshot of the request or the message with Dekhbhaal and asks before they pay. It says plainly if it's a fraud, and you hear about the near miss. When it isn't sure, it says don't pay yet. How the scam guard works.

Questions

Do I need a UPI PIN to receive money?

No. A UPI PIN is only ever needed to send money. If anyone asks you to enter your PIN, or scan a QR code, to receive money, it is a scam.

Someone says they sent money to my number by mistake. Should I return it?

Not yourself. First check the bank's own app; the SMS may be fake. If money really came, tell them to ask their bank to reverse it.

What is a UPI collect request scam?

A request to pay appears in the UPI app, made to look like a refund, cashback or prize. Approving it with the PIN sends money out. Decline any request you didn't expect.

Other scams to know

Dekhbhaal will never ask for an OTP, money or bank details. Anyone who does is a scammer, even if they say they are Dekhbhaal. In an emergency, call 112.