Financial Fraud Risk Indicator

Key notes

  • Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, or FRI, is a risk-based indicator for identifying mobile numbers associated with potential financial fraud.
  • It is linked to India’s telecom and digital-fraud prevention ecosystem.

  • It helps banks, NBFCs and UPI service providers classify numbers as:

    • Medium risk.
    • High risk.
    • Very high risk.

  • It enables preventive action such as:

    • Alerts.
    • Transaction delays.
    • Additional verification.
    • Transaction decline.

  • FRI is part of a broader system involving:

    • Digital Intelligence Platform.
    • Sanchar Saathi-related initiatives.
    • Telecom service providers.
  • It seeks to prevent fraud before or during a transaction rather than only after the loss.
  • PIB reported that since its launch in May 2025, alerts and transaction declines based on FRI helped prevent potential fraud exceeding ₹1,400 crore.