Hyderabad Police issued an advisory on June 24 warning parents about a rise in complaints of children making unauthorized payments in online multiplayer games using saved cards and autofilled UPI details on family devices. The city’s cybercrime cell has observed an increase in such cases, which mainly involve children using family members’ bank accounts without permission, rather than external hacking, according to Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, per medianama.com.
The advisory highlighted that many incidents involve children making in-game purchases through grandparents’ phones, which often have saved payment credentials or active UPI apps and are less closely monitored. The police noted that these cases are not cyberattacks but unauthorized use by minors. Commissioner Sajjanar tweeted that investigations reveal no outsider involvement in most complaints received by the Cyber Crime Police Station, as reported by medianama.com.
This advisory comes amid growing concerns about financial fraud linked to digital payments in India, especially involving senior citizens. In April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India considered implementing additional checks for payments made by customers aged 70 and above, aiming to protect vulnerable users. The Hyderabad Police’s warning underscores the risks of saved payment data on shared devices, particularly in households with children playing online games that offer loot boxes or in-game purchases.
The Hyderabad Police advisory was issued on June 24, 2026, and is part of ongoing efforts to curb unauthorized digital payments by minors. The police urge parents to monitor saved payment credentials on family devices to prevent financial losses linked to online gaming.