From Trust to Trap: Why Mis-selling and Digital Fraud Need Preventive Awareness….by Dr. Karan Chawla
Financial decisions today are increasingly influenced by convenience, technology and trust. While access to financial products and digital payments has become easier, the risks of mis-selling and digital fraud have also become harder for ordinary citizens to recognise.
A financial loss does not always begin with an obvious fraud. Sometimes, it begins with trust.
Products may be presented as safer than they are, returns may be highlighted more than risks, and important conditions may not always be fully understood. This makes mis-selling a serious consumer-awareness concern, capable of affecting savings, retirement planning, insurance protection and the financial security of families.
At the same time, fake calls, phishing links, OTP scams, fraudulent customer-care numbers, UPI and QR-code traps, screen-sharing fraud and identity misuse have created a new layer of financial vulnerability.
The need, therefore, is to move from awareness after a loss to awareness before a loss.
Preventive awareness does not require people to become financial experts. It requires simple habits — asking questions, verifying information, understanding risks, avoiding hurried decisions and protecting personal information.
Before signing or investing, consumers should ask: What am I buying? What are the risks and costs? Is there a lock-in? Is this suitable for me?
Before responding to a digital request, they should ask: Who is contacting me? Why is this information required? Can I verify the caller, link or transaction independently?
It is with this preventive approach that the Sourish Chawla Foundation (SCF) has identified mis-selling prevention, digital fraud awareness, cyber safety, data privacy and responsible financial behaviour as key areas of public awareness.
SCF is a self-funded Section 8 not-for-profit institution working with the philosophy “Awareness That Protects.”
The Foundation believes awareness must remain practical, relatable and easy to understand. It also proposes preventive awareness programmes for educational institutions, workplaces, government establishments and uniformed personnel, subject to the approval and requirements of the respective institutions.
The objective is simple: help people recognise risk before making a decision.
Because awareness after a financial loss may explain what happened.
Awareness before the loss can help prevent it.
August 25, 2026
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Dr. Karan Chawla, Co-Founder & Director Sourish Chawla Foundation (SCF)
chairman@sourishchawlafoundation.org
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