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PhonePe Protect: How New Feature Shields 61 Crore Users from Fraud

PhonePe has launched a new security feature called 'PhonePe Protect' to safeguard users from fraudulent transactions. The feature uses the Department of Telecommunications' Financial Fraud Risk Indicator to identify and block suspicious payments. It displays real-time warnings when users attempt transactions with potentially risky mobile numbers. This initiative builds on PhonePe's commitment to creating a safer digital payments ecosystem for its 61 crore users.

Key Points: PhonePe Launches Protect Feature to Block Fraudulent Transactions

  • Blocks transactions to suspicious numbers flagged by DoT's FRI system
  • Displays real-time alerts when users attempt risky payments
  • Provides insights into why transactions get declined for security
  • Uses AI-based risk assessment for different threat levels
  • Collaborates with DoT's Financial Fraud Risk Indicator tool
  • Protects over 61 crore registered users across India
3 min read

PhonePe rolls out feature that safeguards users from making fraudulent transactions

PhonePe introduces 'PhonePe Protect' security feature that blocks suspicious transactions using DoT's Financial Fraud Risk Indicator to safeguard users from fraud.

"This is more than just a security feature - it's our commitment to building a safer digital payments ecosystem for India. - Anuj Bhansali, Head of Trust and Safety at PhonePe"

New Delhi, November 3

Fintech platform PhonePe has rolled out a security framework designed to safeguard users from fraudulent transactions.

This feature, 'PhonePe Protect', according to the fintech firm, notifies users to avoid making payments to potentially suspicious numbers and displays a 'PhonePe Protect' alert, to users attempting such transactions.

The feature also offers insights into the risks involved when transactions are declined for security reasons.

'PhonePe Protect' incorporates a mechanism to identify and block transactions directed toward mobile numbers that are flagged as suspicious by The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through their 'Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI)' feature, PhonePe said in a statement.

PhonePe's system intelligence actively detects these risks during the payment process and intervenes in real time once the risks are detected.

Users then receive relevant warnings as notifications to help them make informed decisions about their transactions, further improving their overall security, PhonePe said.

As an early adopter of DoT's FRI, PhonePe claimed it has made use of the feature to decline transactions linked to 'Very High FRI' mobile numbers and display an on-screen alert as part of the 'PhonePe Protect' feature. For 'Medium FRI' numbers, the app displays a proactive user warning before allowing the user to make the transaction.

"The introduction of this new feature builds on a key collaboration showcased at the 2025 India Mobile Congress (IMC), where the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recognised PhonePe for combating cyber frauds for early implementation of its AI-based Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) tool. PhonePe, in turn, demonstrated how 'PhonePe Protect' uses this crucial DoT tool to actively safeguard users during transactions," PhonePe added.

Commenting on the new feature, Anuj Bhansali, Head of Trust and Safety at PhonePe, said, at PhonePe, payment security is paramount, and it has implemented several initiatives to safeguard our customers.

"'PhonePe Protect' represents our vision of creating a financial ecosystem where security is seamlessly embedded into every transaction. With this feature, we've developed a robust security system that shields our user base (which was over 61 crore as of March 31, 2025) from cyber threats in real-time. This is more than just a security feature- it's our commitment to building a safer digital payments ecosystem for India. We are confident that this solution will establish a secure and seamless payments experience for our users."

PhonePe Limited (formerly PhonePe Private Limited) is a technology company that builds digital platforms for Payments, Digital Distribution Services, Financial Services and Marketplace Solutions.

Headquartered in India, the PhonePe digital payments app was launched in 2016. As of March 31, 2025, PhonePe has over 61 Crore registered users and a digital payments acceptance network spread across over 4.4 Crore merchants.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great initiative by PhonePe! With so many UPI frauds happening these days, this real-time protection is exactly what we need. Hope other payment apps implement similar features soon.
A
Anjali F
I appreciate the effort, but I hope this doesn't create too many false positives. Sometimes we need to send money to new numbers for genuine reasons. The 'Medium FRI' warning seems like a good balance though.
V
Vikram M
Collaboration with DoT is smart! Government and private sector working together to fight cybercrime is the way forward. 🇮🇳 This will boost confidence in digital India initiative.
S
Sarah B
As someone who recently moved to India, I find the digital payment system amazing but sometimes worry about security. Features like this make me feel much safer using UPI payments daily.
K
Karthik V
Good step, but what about data privacy? PhonePe will now have access to even more transaction data. Hope they maintain transparency about how this data is used and protected.

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