5 safe online payment tricks: On UPI, keep your money secure this way

Do you keep cash in your pocket anymore? Perhaps not. In fact, most of us prefer making online payments wherever possible. We even have more than one Unified Payment Interface (UPI) linked payment-making applications like Google Pay (GPay), Paytm, PhonePe, among others installed in our smartphones.

The process of making online payment via these apps is simple, however, sometimes even a simple mistake like wrong click, number, among others can cause you huge monetary loss. Here are some of the safety tips which you should consider while making UPI payments.

1. Screen lock: Keeping a strong screen lock, password or PIN not only for your phone but also for all payment or financial transaction apps is very important. It not only saves your phone from landing in the wrong hands but also helps in avoiding leaking of personal and crucial details. However, you should avoid keeping simple passwords like your name, date of birth, mobile number, etc.

2. Do not share your PIN: You should never share your PIN with anyone. Sharing your PIN makes you vulnerable for frauds as anyone can access your phone and transfer the amount. In case you feel that your PIN has been exposed, you should change it immediately.

3. Do not click on unverified links or attend fake calls: Lots of fake messages containing links of some unverified keeps on popping in your inbox. You should avoid clicking on such links as it can cause you huge financial losses. You should also avoid picking up fake calls. The caller pretends to be calling from your bank or some other organisation and can ask you for your details like PIN, OTP, etc. Hackers usually share links or make calls and ask users to download a third-party app for verification. It can be noted that banks never ask for PIN, OTP or any other personal details.

4. Keep updating UPI App regularly: Every application requires an update and each update brings better features and benefits. You should always keep updating the UPI payment app to the latest version.

5. Avoid using multiple payment applications: You should avoid keeping multiple payment applications in your phone and should install only the trusted and verified payment applications from the Play Store or App Store.