PhonePe announces ‘Protect’ tool to curb scams by blocking government-flagged numbers: Here’s how to enable it

Phonepe

Digital payments platform PhonePe has introduced a new security feature called PhonePe Protect aimed at reducing online scams and fraudulent transactions. The feature automatically blocks payments to numbers flagged by the government as risky and alerts users before they transfer money to suspicious accounts.

The PhonePe Protect system uses data shared by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) through its Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) feature. Based on this database, PhonePe classifies phone numbers under different risk levels. If a user attempts to send money to a number marked as “Very High Risk,” the app will block the transaction automatically and display an explanation on the screen. For “Medium Risk” numbers, it will show a warning message, allowing the user to decide whether to proceed.

According to the company, the move aims to strengthen user trust by preventing unintentional transfers to fraudsters and ensuring transparency in blocked transactions. The system operates in real time and updates as new fraud numbers are identified by the DoT.

PhonePe Protect will be gradually rolled out to all users as part of a server-side update. Users can ensure they have access to the feature by following these steps:

Open the PhonePe app and go to the Profile or Settings section.

Ensure the app is updated to the latest version from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

The PhonePe Protect option will appear under Security Settings once available.

Enable the feature and allow notifications to receive alerts during transactions.