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Airtel CEO Advocates for Safer Digital Payments Amid Rising Scams, ETCIO
Bharti Airtel’s vice chairman and managing director Gopal Vittal has called on customers to adopt a safer approach to digital payments by using a dedicated secondary account for everyday transactions, as digital scams continue to surge across India.
In a letter addressed to the telecom operator’s customers, he said that online frauds are becoming more sophisticated and scammers are deploying increasingly creative tactics including fake parcel delivery notifications, fraudulent prize links and bogus digital arrest threats.
“Any crime or fraud on our network pains us all at Airtel,” Vittal wrote.
While Bharti Airtel has implemented artificial intelligence (AI)-powered spam detection and fraudulent link blocking systems, making it the first telecom operator globally to offer such protections, Vittal said that frauds persist, partly because customers commonly link their primary bank accounts to payment apps for all transactions.
“A small mistake can therefore put your entire savings at risk,” he cautioned.
To address this vulnerability, Vittal promoted Airtel Payments Bank as a solution, describing it as a payment-focused account designed to hold minimal balances for daily transactions. Unlike traditional banks, Airtel Payments Bank doesn’t offer lending services and therefore doesn’t require customers to maintain large deposits. The small balances held do earn interest, according to the letter.
The account can be opened within minutes through the Airtel Thanks app, using a simple three-step process involving know your customer (KYC) verification through Aadhaar and Permanent Account Number (PAN) details. Customers can fund the account via transfers from their primary bank or by depositing cash at Airtel Payments Bank retail outlets, Vittal said.
By isolating everyday digital payments in a separate account with limited funds, customers can significantly reduce their financial exposure even if they inadvertently fall victim to a scam, he said.
