How Scammers Are Targeting Khalti and eSewa Users in Nepal?

Digital wallets like Khalti and eSewa have made it easy for Nepalis to buy things, pay bills, and send and receive money online. However, with the increase in popularity of these wallets and cashless adoption in the entire country growing, scammers are increasingly targeting users through fake calls, phishing SMS, and social media messages and stealing lakhs of rupees every year.

In this article, we’ll learn how digital wallet scams in Nepal operate and learn practical tips to help Khalti and eSewa users protect their money and personal information.

Scammers focus on users of Nepal’s digital wallets esewa and khalti to gain unauthorized access to OTP codes,user passwords, or account credentials .

The most common forms of fraud happening repeatedly in the market right now include:

Fake Calls: Scammers imitate customer support from Khalti or eSewa, asking for sensitive information, OTP to gain credentials.

Phishing Links: Scammers send SMS or WhatsApp messages that contain links to fake login pages that steal your credentials.

Reward or Refund Scams: Scammers forward Messages including lucky draw schemes, gifts, iphone,bonuses or refunds trick users into sharing OTPs.

How Scammers Trick Nepali Users

Fake Calls & OTP Requests:

Scammers call official phone numbers, making the caller ID appear authentic. Common scam techniques include phone call by people saying:

“Your account will get blocked if you don’t verify immediately.”
“We are from customer support, please share your OTP.”
“We detected suspicious activity in your account, please share your OTP.”

Tip to remember : Never share your OTP, PIN, or passwords even if the caller claims to be from Khalti or eSewa customer support team.

WhatsApp & SMS Phishing

Scammers send Fake login links asking for wallet credentials.
They send Claims of rewards, refunds, or job offers.

Clicking these links can compromise your wallet in seconds, making WhatsApp and SMS scams one of the fastest growing threats to digital wallet users in Nepal.

How to Protect Yourself from Digital Wallet Fraud

Don’t share your OTP, PIN, or passwords with anyone.
Make sure to verify calls through official apps.
Avoid clicking links from unknown messages.
Use official apps and websites only for transactions.
Enable two factor authentication in your devices.
Report suspicious activity to the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau immediately.

Reporting Scams in Nepal

Nepal Police Cyber Bureau: https://nepalpolice.gov.np/
eSewa Fraud Awareness: https://blog.esewa.com.np/fraud-awareness-stay-informed-about-phishing

Early reporting can help track scammers and help to prevent further losses.

Digital wallets like Khalti and eSewa are convenient methods of transaction and safe to use but scammers are targeting users with these fraud schemes. By understanding how these scams operate and following simple safety measures, you can protect your money and personal information.

Content Writer: Agya Bhandari