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Field guide · Diwali is 8 November 2026
Diwali scams 2026: what to watch for this festive season
Sales, gifts, bonuses and parcels on the way: the festive season gives scammers plenty of cover. Here are the six Diwali scams to watch for, what each one looks like, the pressure tactic behind it and what to do instead.
Before you start
- Keep your orders in one place.
Note what you've ordered and from where. A "parcel held" text can't fool you about a parcel you know you never ordered.
- Type shop addresses yourself.
Go to shops through their own app or an address you type, not through ads, forwarded links or search results marked as sponsored.
- Agree a pause with your family.
Any message that asks for money, a code or your UPI PIN gets shown to someone else before anyone pays. Scams rely on hurry and secrecy.
The six scams to watch for
Fake Diwali sale sites and ads
Ads and forwarded links lead to shops that copy a big brand's look, with prices far below anyone else's. You pay and nothing arrives, or the checkout page takes your card details.
DIWALI MEGA SALE 🪔 Branded smartphones at 80% off, today only! Only 12 left. Pay by UPI only, no cash on delivery. Shop now: link removed
The tactic
Too good to be true, False urgency, Manufactured scarcity
What to do
- Compare the price with two shops you already know. A deal far below everyone else's is the warning.
- Go to the shop by typing its address or using its app, not through the ad.
- Be wary of "UPI only" or "no cash on delivery" from a shop you don't know. Pay by card where you can.
Gift vouchers, lucky draws and spin-the-wheel links
A prize you never entered for, a free voucher or a "spin the wheel" link forwarded on WhatsApp. Then comes the catch: a fee, "tax" or delivery charge to claim it, or a UPI request you're told to approve to "receive" the money.
Congratulations! Your number has won the Diwali Bumper Draw: a new car and a ₹50,000 gift voucher. Pay ₹2,999 GST within 2 hours to claim your prize: link removed
The tactic
Too good to be true, Hidden costs (drip pricing), False urgency
What to do
- You can't win a draw you didn't enter. A real prize never asks you to pay first.
- You never enter your UPI PIN or approve a request to receive money. The PIN only sends money out.
- Don't forward it, even as a joke. Forwarding is how these spread.
Courier and "parcel held" texts
The government has repeatedly called out fake India Post messages like this one. The link leads to a lookalike page that asks for card details or a one-time code, or a tiny "redelivery fee" that's really a way to take your card.
Post: Your package has arrived at our warehouse but could not be delivered due to an incomplete address. Update your address within 24 hours or it will be returned: link removed
The tactic
What to do
- Don't tap the link. Check the tracking number in the courier's or shop's own app or website.
- India Post doesn't ask you to update your address through an SMS link.
- Report the message through Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi.
Fake bank KYC and "account blocked" alerts
The RBI says KYC fraud starts with an unexpected call, SMS or email that threatens to freeze or close your account, then asks for login details, a one-time code or for you to install an app. Festive "reward points expiring" messages work the same way.
Dear customer, your account will be BLOCKED today due to pending KYC. Update now to avoid suspension: link removed or download the KYC app. Your reward points worth ₹4,850 also expire tonight.
The tactic
Fear framing, Impersonation, False urgency
What to do
- Don't click links or install apps from a message. Open your bank's own app, or call the number on your card.
- Never share your PIN, password, OTP or card details, whoever asks.
- Banks don't block accounts over a text you didn't reply to in an hour.
Festive bonus, cashback and instant loan offers
"Pre-approved" loans that need a fee first, loan apps that ask for your contacts and photos, and fake festive bonus or cashback schemes, sometimes with an AI-made video of a well-known leader promising government money.
Pre-approved Diwali loan of ₹2,00,000 at 0% interest! No documents needed. Pay ₹1,499 processing fee today to release the amount to your account. Offer ends at midnight.
The tactic
Too good to be true, Hidden costs (drip pricing), False urgency
What to do
- Never pay a fee to a personal UPI ID or account to "release" a loan.
- Check a loan app in the RBI's public directory of digital lending apps, and read the Key Fact Statement before you accept.
- Check any government scheme on an official website you type in yourself.
Festive part-time job and "task" scams
The Home Ministry has blocked websites behind task-based job frauds. You're paid small amounts for liking videos or rating places, then asked to deposit your own money for "premium tasks", and the deposits are never paid back.
Earn ₹3,000–₹8,000 a day from home this Diwali season! Just like videos and rate hotels. Daily payment. Join our Telegram group now, only 20 seats left.
The tactic
Too good to be true, Social-proof pressure, Manufactured scarcity
What to do
- Real jobs don't pay you to like, rate or review things.
- Never pay to get a job, or to unlock earnings you've been shown.
- Report the number or handle at cybercrime.gov.in.
If you already paid or shared details
If you paid or shared bank details, call the National Cyber Crime Helpline on 1930 straight away and tell your bank, then file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. The sooner you call, the better the chance of stopping the payment. Report suspicious calls and messages, even if you didn't lose money, through Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi.
Got a Diwali offer or message you're not sure about?
Paste it or upload a screenshot. The Pressure Check names the tactics, quotes the words that show them and suggests a calm next step. Free, and it works in Hindi too.
Check a message freeQuestions
When is Diwali 2026?
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Festive sales and gift messages usually start weeks before, so expect scam messages from mid-October.
Is a Diwali lucky draw message real if it uses a big brand's name?
Almost never. You can't win a draw you didn't enter, and a real prize never asks you to pay a fee, "GST" or delivery charge first. Check on the brand's own website or app, not through the message.
Do I need my UPI PIN to receive money?
No. You never need your UPI PIN, or to approve a collect request, to receive money. Entering your PIN always sends money out of your account.
What should I do if I paid a fake Diwali sale site?
Call 1930 and your bank straight away, using the number on your card, and ask them to stop the payment. Then file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots of the site, the ad and the payment.
How do I check if a Diwali message is a scam?
Paste it, or a screenshot of it, into the free Kindyra OS checker. It names the pressure tactics and scam signs, quotes the exact words and suggests a calm next step. It also works in Hindi.
Related guides
Sources
- Akashvani News (Government of India): Govt debunks SMS from India Post asking people to update their address, 20 January 2026
- Reserve Bank of India: RBI cautions against frauds in the name of KYC updation, 2 February 2024
- Reserve Bank of India: Digital Lending Directions, 2025, and the public directory of digital lending apps, 8 May 2025
- Ministry of Home Affairs (PIB): over 100 websites behind task-based part-time job frauds blocked, 6 December 2023
- I4C advisory on fake welfare-scheme, cashback and spin-to-win ads, 19 October 2026, as reported by Deccan Herald
- Akashvani News: I4C alert on online booking frauds and fake websites, 19 April 2025
- Department of Telecommunications: Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi, for reporting suspected fraud calls and messages