CFA Fraud Awareness
Learn how fraudsters create urgency, impersonate real businesses, manipulate payments and use convincing digital identities. CFA Fraud Awareness helps you recognise the warning signs before money or personal information changes hands.
Looks real,
but it's fake.
Common Fraud Patterns
Fraud can look different across industries, but many schemes rely on the same behavioural patterns: urgency, impersonation, unverifiable promises and unusual payment requests.
A fraudster pretends to be a real company using a copied logo, similar website, fake number or unofficial email address.
learn the patternA professional-looking website copies a known business or invents a company identity to gain consumer trust.
How to checkYou are told to transfer money to a new, personal or unrelated beneficiary, often at the last minute.
See payment red flagsFake job offers, fabricated employers or advance fees are used to exploit people seeking employment.
Read guideGuaranteed approvals, fake appointments, false job-linked visa promises or invented processing claims be used to demand money.
Read guideA consumer pays upfront for a promised result, prize, loan, investment or service that never materialises.
Read guideFake support agents, sellers or company representatives use messaging platforms to appear accessible and legitimate.
Read guideLinks, OTP requests, fake verification screens and credential theft can be used to take over accounts or access funds.
Read guideSomething Doesn't Feel Right?
CFA can help you move from uncertainty to a more informed next step without forcing every concern into the same process.
Explore opportunities posted by businesses across different industries and categories.
Write A ReviewSearch its CFA profile for reviews, complaints, business responses, available verification information and trust signals.
Check A CompanyLook for CFA business verification and, where available, deeper FraudShield assessment information before you proceed.
Verify On CFAReport suspected fraud, impersonation, deceptive payment requests or other suspicious activity to CFA.
Report A ScamRaise a structured dispute, provide supporting information and give the business an opportunity to respond.
Raise A DisputeFraudShield can surface deeper evidence about business identity, history, engagement and trust indicators where available.
Explore FraudShieldAnatomy of a Scam
A scam often becomes more effective when the consumer feels rushed, excited, afraid or personally selected. The pressure can be the mechanism that prevents verification.
“Today only.” “Last slot.” “Immediate payment required.”
Use a company logo, professional language, fake ID or copied website.
Discourage you from calling the real company, bank or official authority.
Request a transfer to a beneficiary that is difficult to recover from or trace.
Red Flags
One warning sign may have an innocent explanation. Several warning signs together deserve additional scrutiny before you proceed.
Someone promises an outcome that normally depends on an employer, regulator, embassy, bank, market or other third party.
You are told the opportunity disappears unless you make a payment before you can verify the details.
The requested beneficiary does not clearly match the company or the transaction.
Bank details suddenly change after previous communication or documentation.
Everything happens through personal WhatsApp, Telegram or free email accounts despite the business claiming to be established.
The seller avoids invoices, contracts, cancellation terms or written descriptions of the service.
You are told not to call the company, authority, bank, employer or official office directly.
The website, email, phone, address, legal name and payment beneficiary appear inconsistent.
The offer is unusually cheap, profitable or certain compared with the normal market.
Large numbers of repetitive reviews appear without detail, or genuine complaints are never addressed.
Verify Before You Trust
Do not verify a suspicious contact using the contact details the suspicious person gave you. Find independent official channels and compare the identity, website and payment information yourself.
Search for the legal entity, official website and established contact channels.
Small spelling differences and free email accounts can be important clues.
Look for current patterns, not only a headline star rating.
The beneficiary should make sense for the business and service.
If contact or payment details change, independently verify again before proceeding.
High-Value Payments
Large advance payments create greater consumer exposure because money is paid before the final service or outcome is delivered. Extra checks are especially important when the transaction involves long timelines or third-party decisions.
Open the before you pay guide₹50K+
Advance service payment
₹2L+
High-value commitment
₹10L+
Major consumer exposure
If You Suspect Fraud
The appropriate response depends on what happened, where the money went and which authorities or service providers are involved.
Contact the relevant bank, card provider, wallet or payment service as soon as possible and ask what fraud or recall options may be available.
A chronological record makes it easier to report the incident to a business, payment provider, authority or platform.
Already Paid?
Not every bad experience is fraud, and not every problem needs the same response. Choose the CFA action that best matches your situation.
Document what happened and share a genuine review so others can understand your experience.
Write a ReviewRaise a structured dispute and give the business an opportunity to respond to your evidence.
Raise a DisputeReport suspicious conduct, fake identities, deceptive payment instructions or other suspected fraud.
Report a ScamSearch CFA before taking the next step and compare available reviews, responses and verification signals.
Check the CompanyFraud Awareness Resources
Practical checklists for payments, reviews, complaints and business research.
Browse guidesRead consumer reviews, complaints, business responses and available trust information.
Search a companyShare information about suspected scams, impersonation or fraudulent activity.
Report nowFind support information about reports, reviews, disputes and CFA processes.
Visit help centreFAQs
Our mission is to help create a marketplace where consumers can see more, businesses can respond fairly and meaningful trust information is supported by evidence.
