A STUDY OF UPI PAYMENT SECURITY AWARENESS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN NAVI MUMBAI

The rapid growth of digital payment systems in India has significantly transformed the way financial transactions are conducted. Among these systems, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has become one of the most widely used digital payment platforms due to its convenience, speed, and accessibility. However, the increasing use of UPI has also raised concerns regarding cybersecurity threats such as phishing, fraudulent links, unauthorized access, and social engineering scams. This study aims to assess the level of awareness regarding UPI payment security among college students. The research focuses on understanding students’ knowledge of safe digital payment practices, their ability to identify potential fraud, and the precautions they take while using UPI applications. The study evaluates students’ awareness of important security measures such as protecting UPI PINs, avoiding suspicious links, verifying payment requests, and understanding common cyber fraud techniques. The findings highlight that while many students actively use UPI for daily transactions, their awareness regarding certain security practices remains limited. This lack of knowledge may increase their vulnerability to digital payment fraud. The findings of the study help identify gaps in awareness, common security mistakes made by students, and the extent to which students follow recommended security practices such as safeguarding their UPI PIN, avoiding suspicious links, and verifying payment requests. Overall, the study contributes to understanding the role of awareness in preventing digital payment fraud and emphasizes the importance of educating young users about secure digital transaction practices. Keywords: UPI, Digital Payments, Payment Security, Cyber Fraud Awareness, College Students, Financial Technology, Online Transaction Safety