A Holistic Representation of Frauds and Grievance Redress in Digital Payments and Digital Credit Services in Rajasthan (VOAC-DVARA)

Background

While there has been secular increase in frauds in digital financial services (DFS), the modus operandi of fraudsters may differ with consumer categories. Similarly, the responses of consumers to such frauds may differ.

This project aimed to understand lived experiences of diverse consumer groups with respect to frauds in DFS, including their responses to such incidents, through qualitative non-technical interviews, household level focus group discussions, scenario building exercises, and observational techniques. The consumer categories will include poor women, smallholder farmers, low income households, household level enterprises, and merchants, who are using, or have attempted to use, digital payments and digital credit services.

The objective was to understand if modus operandi of fraudsters, including their entry point, the trap, and the nudge for consumers, differ with consumer groups, and DFS. It also examined, if experience of consumers with respect to grievance redress mechanism differs, while acknowledging the possibility of frauds during grievance redress. This was supplemented through interactions with other stakeholders, including e-mitras, business correspondents, and DFS providers.

The interactions was video and/or audio recorded, and a holistic perspective was presented in reader-friendly