Visa issues advisory to netizens in India to be safe on April Fool’s Day

A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture. Image for representational purposes only.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Pause before you pay to stay safe this April Fool’s Day, urged Visa, a player in digital payments on Monday (March 31, 2025).

Visa also shared some simple tips to help consumers spot, stop and dodge digital payment scams after it noticed that cyber frauds and digital scams in the country have reached a new level of sophistication. As a result, according to government data, people lost a combined ₹1.77 billion to fraud in FY 2024. Visa mostly warned netizens in the country of SIM Swap (simjacking), digital arrest, skimming scams and voice cloning AI scams.

Under SIM Swap, scammers can trick mobile carriers into porting your number to their own SIM, gaining access to OTPs and accounts. So if you face sudden network loss, SIM change alerts and unusual activity like login attempts and SMS alerts, it is important for users to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) like biometrics, to secure your account, suggested a safety advisory issued by Visa.

Through digital arrest, scammers impersonate law enforcement, claim your involvement in a crime and demand immediate, urgent payments to avoid arrest. ‘‘Remember, legitimate authorities never ask for payments over a call. Use the Indian Government’s I4C online database hosted on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to verify the caller’s legitimacy,’‘ the digital payment firm recommended.

Under skimming scams, hackers can compromise POS or ATM machines by using skimmers (a fraudulent device used for stealing card data), or use malicious code on websites, to steal card details or redirect shoppers to fake checkout pages. So it was critical for checking for skimmers at ATMs and using contactless payments to tap your credit/debit cards at stores. Also, always save your cards on trusted apps and pay with a tap, Visa further said.

Through AI-driven voice cloning, fraudsters use AI to mimic voices of known people and could pressure you into sending money to unknown numbers and people. Visa has urged card users to be skeptical of phone calls that portray urgency and ask the callers key or personal questions to confirm their identities

All digital scams should be reported to the Cybercrime Helpline (dial 1930), on the portal or on NCRP.

And, therefore, this April Fool’s Day, be vigilant and do not let scammers have the last laugh, the advisory further said.