The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has rolled out the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), a new digital tool designed to strengthen cybersecurity in India’s financial ecosystem. FRI assigns risk levels—Medium, High, or Very High—to mobile numbers based on factors like cybercrime involvement, failed re-verification attempts, and abnormal usage patterns.
Digital payment platforms such as PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay are now integrating the FRI into their systems. PhonePe, for instance, automatically blocks payments from Very High-risk numbers and alerts users about Medium-risk numbers before processing transactions. These precautions are significantly improving user safety.
FRI pulls data from trusted sources including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, and financial institutions. By identifying suspicious numbers early, the tool enables banks and fintech companies to act quickly, boosting the security and trust in digital payments across the country.