RBI’s Anti-Fraud Push: Many people in India now use digital payments every day for shopping, bills and money transfers. They use UPI, banking apps, cards and online transfers for almost everything. Because of this, fear of online fraud is also rising, and both users and regulators are paying more attention to the problem.
To tackle this, the Reserve Bank of India released a discussion paper called “Exploring safeguards in digital payments to curb frauds” on April 9, 2026. The paper invites public comments until May 8, 2026. In it, RBI has suggested several new safety steps to help stop fraud, reduce losses and give customers better control over their accounts.
One major proposal is a one-hour delay for some payments. If a person sends more than ₹10,000 to a newly added beneficiary, the transfer may be delayed by one hour instead of going through instantly. This gap is meant to give the customer time to check the transaction and cancel it if something seems suspicious. RBI has also suggested that customers should be able to “whitelist” trusted beneficiaries, so payments to regular and known contacts can happen without any delay.
Gold futures drop Rs 1,363 to Rs 1,52,071/10g
Extra checks for risky situations
RBI has also suggested extra safety for people who may face more risk, such as users aged 70 and above and persons with disabilities. Under this plan, payments above ₹50,000 may need approval from a “Trusted Person” before the money is sent. If someone wants to change that trusted person, the new person may become active only after a 24-hour cooling-off period. People can also choose not to use this feature.
The paper also talks about an emergency “kill switch”. This would help a customer quickly stop all outgoing digital payments if they fear fraud or lose their phone. Using an app or hotline, a person could lock internet banking and block fund transfers, UPI, card payments and other online payment services right away.
New systems to catch fraud faster
RBI is also working on a bigger system to catch fraud across the payment network. This system is called the Digital Payment Intelligence Platform, or DPIP. It is being built to spot suspicious transactions in real time by using AI and data tools. This can help banks and payment companies find risky activity faster and share fraud-related information with each other.
A linked body called the Indian Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation, or IDPIC, was set up in October 2025 to help detect, prevent and study fraud in India’s growing digital payments system.
April 2026 Corporate FD Rates: Top NBFCs Offer Attractive Fixed Returns
The RBI paper also raises concern about mule accounts. These are bank accounts opened in the names of innocent people but later used by fraudsters. To stop this, RBI has suggested stronger monitoring. It says fraudsters are now using fake call centres, deepfake scams and mule account networks, so tighter checks are needed. The paper also suggests that new bank accounts should not get digital payment features like UPI or internet banking right away.
RBI has also said banks and payment service providers must improve fraud alerts and reporting systems.
