Amazon India launches second phase of ScamSmartIndia drive against festive-season online fraud

Online shopping picks up during the festival season, and so does the risk of cyber fraud. To protect customers from fake payment links, fake delivery messages and online scams, Amazon India has taken a significant step.

The second phase of the "ScamSmartIndia" campaign has been launched with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Union Home Ministry. The main aim is to help customers recognise fraud and take the right steps against it immediately.

Under the campaign, awareness messages on online safety are being printed on 10 lakh Amazon delivery packages in large cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The initiative is meant to keep customers more alert during festive shopping and away from suspicious messages or payment links.

For cyber security, Amazon organised the "Rakshak National AI Cybersecurity Hackathon 2026" with IIT Delhi. About 5,000 student teams registered for the contest. The emphasis was on building solutions based on artificial intelligence to detect voice cloning, deepfakes and online scam methods. The final winners were to be announced on October 25.

A special digital game has also been introduced so that customers can understand online fraud methods through real examples. It trains players to spot fake delivery alerts, false refund requests and suspicious payment links.

Nishant Kumar, Director of I4C at the Home Ministry, said awareness alone is not enough to guard against cyber threats; taking the right decision at the right time is also necessary.

Rakesh Bakshi, Vice President (Legal) at Amazon India, said customers' trust and safety are the company's priority. Through the campaign, customers are urged to check suspicious transactions.

People who fall victim to online fraud should call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or file a complaint on the website cybercrime.gov.in, the campaign has said.