UPI transactions are putting your safety at risk

Since the introduction of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in 2016, our reliance on digital payments has grown significantly. However, this convenience comes with its own set of risks.

UPI (made in India) is a digital payment system that combines multiple bank accounts into a single mobile app, allowing users to make merchant payments, route funds, and perform peer-to-peer transactions. It has become India's fastest-growing payment system and has also been rolled out in other countries, including Singapore, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Nepal.

But the thing is-- every time you click ‘Pay Now’ or share your UPI ID from your UPI app, through any third-party app like Paytm, Google Pay, BHIM, or PhonePe, there’s a good chance that your number is getting shared. This has caused a lot of trouble for people, especially women, since your number reaching the wrong hands can be dangerous.

One such common example where harassment of women is becoming increasingly common is when you use third-party ride-hailing apps like Ola, Uber, or Rapido, and you pay digitally using a payment service app. A lot of women have faced similar problems where the drivers of these taxi apps end up harassing them by text through messaging apps like WhatsApp or on the UPI app itself. The social media platform X is filled with complaints from various women about drivers who end up texting them.

Another reason why sharing your number through UPI payments is so dangerous is that it may expose your number to potential scammers. This has contributed to a significant increase in online scams in India.

The worry some part is this that there no way to prevent your phone number from being shared. We explored various platforms to find a method that effectively conceals your number, but no fully reliable solution exists.

Even if you use a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) or UPI ID, in most cases, your UPI ID is tied to your phone number, often in the format of your number followed by "@nameofbank," making it easy for others to access your number. Similarly, on Google Pay, while your UPI ID might be your email address, once the payment is made, your phone number is displayed on the receiver's phone.

So, it is advisable to avoid paying drivers or delivery personnel directly when using apps like Ola, Uber, Amazon, Rapido, etc. You can also always link the UPI apps or use your credit and debit cards.