RBI Mandates Banks to Integrate DoT’s Financial Fraud Risk Indicator in Major Cybersecurity Push
RBI urges banks to adopt DoT’s Fraud Risk Indicator for real-time detection and prevention of cyber-enabled financial scams.
The Impressive TimesTIT Correspondent
info@impressivetimes.com
NEW DELHI, 02 JULY: In a landmark move to counter rising cyber-enabled financial frauds, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued an advisory mandating all Scheduled Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks, Payments Banks, and Co-operative Banks to integrate the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This integration, announced on June 30, 2025, marks a significant step forward in building a secure, digitally resilient financial ecosystem in India.
Launched by DoT’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) in May 2025, the FRI is a risk-based metric that classifies mobile numbers based on their association with financial fraud—categorized as Medium, High, or Very High risk. The system consolidates real-time data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), DoT’s Chakshu platform, and fraud intelligence shared by banks and UPI providers.
With real-time API-based integration, banks can now detect and act upon potential threats more efficiently. The FRI allows financial institutions to automatically flag suspicious mobile numbers, decline high-risk transactions, issue real-time alerts, or implement transaction delays as preventive measures. This empowers banks to stop fraud before it occurs, rather than react after the damage is done.
Leading financial entities like PhonePe, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Paytm, and India Post Payments Bank have already started using the FRI, showing its effectiveness in safeguarding digital transactions. Additionally, the DIU also shares a Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) with these stakeholders, detailing disconnected numbers due to verified fraud links or misuse.
As the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) continues to dominate India’s digital payment landscape, the adoption of FRI is expected to prevent large-scale fraud and enhance user trust. This collaboration highlights the power of inter-agency coordination and technology-led governance in addressing modern cybersecurity challenges.
DoT reiterated its commitment to advancing secure digital services and pledged ongoing support to RBI-regulated entities. With broader adoption, FRI is poised to become a sector-wide fraud prevention standard, reinforcing India’s vision of a secure and inclusive Digital India.
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