A message says my CIBIL score will drop unless I pay today. What should I do?
In short: Don’t pay through the message. Credit bureaus don’t collect money to protect your score, and no one can stop a genuine overdue from being reported by taking a fee. If you really do owe a lender, pay that lender directly, through its own app, website or branch, never a link or UPI ID someone sends you. If you owe nothing, ignore the deadline, report the message on Sanchar Saathi under “Chakshu”, and check your full credit report so you know exactly where you stand.
Written by the Omozing Credit Team · Reviewed for accuracy by our credit and compliance team · Updated October 2026
See it play out: Rohit asks Meera from our credit team
An illustrative conversation. Rohit is a made-up borrower, not a real customer. Meera speaks for the Omozing credit team.
R
RohitI just got a WhatsApp: “Your CIBIL score will drop 150 points at midnight. Pay ₹2,499 settlement charge to protect it.” There’s a UPI ID. Should I just pay and be safe?
M
MeeraPlease don’t pay yet. Two things in that message are already wrong. CIBIL doesn’t collect “settlement charges”, and nobody can promise your score will or won’t move by a set number of points at midnight.
R
RohitThe thing is, I do have an app loan that’s five days late. So maybe it’s real?
M
MeeraThat’s exactly why these messages work: they’re sent to lots of people, and some of them really are behind on something. The late loan may be real. The message still isn’t the way to pay it.
R
RohitSo what do I do about the loan?
M
MeeraOpen the lender’s own app or website, the one you borrowed from, and check the amount due there. Pay it there. Genuine dues go to the lender’s account, not to a stranger’s UPI ID.
R
RohitAnd if I pay today, does my score stay safe?
M
MeeraPaying a genuine overdue quickly is always the right move, and it limits the damage. Lenders report to bureaus on fixed dates, the 9th, 16th and 23rd and the last day of the month, so there’s no secret midnight deadline someone can sell you a way out of.
R
RohitShould I reply and tell them it’s a scam?
M
MeeraNo, replying just confirms your number is active. Take a screenshot, report it on Sanchar Saathi under Chakshu, block the sender. If you’ve already paid anything, call 1930 straight away.
The message’s claims, checked
Score-threat messages follow a script. Each line is designed to make you act before you think. Set against how credit reporting actually works, none of it holds up.
What the message says vs how it really works
A made-up example of a typical score-threat message; the amount and wording are illustrative. Genuine lenders and bureaus never ask for your OTP, PIN, CVV or password either.
What most people get wrong: they think paying the fee is the “safe” option, just in case. It isn’t. The fee doesn’t touch your credit report, and paying marks you as someone who pays, so the next message comes with a bigger number. If you owe a real lender, paying the real lender is the only thing that helps.
Two situations, two different answers
You really are behind on a loan
Pay the lender directly through its official app, website or branch, and keep the receipt. If you can’t pay in full, ask the lender for a plan. What one missed EMI does to your score.
You don’t owe anything
The message is fishing. Ignore the deadline, report it on Sanchar Saathi under “Chakshu”, and pull your full report to confirm there’s nothing unexpected. Get your report free.
The “lender” isn’t one you know
It may be an unauthorised app. Don’t pay into threats; report it on RBI Sachet (sachet.rbi.org.in). Unpaid loan-app loans explained.
You’ve already paid
Call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in at once, then tell your bank. Speed improves the chance of freezing the money.
A related trick promises to raise your score for a fee. That doesn’t work either: accurate entries can’t be removed for money. Why paid removal offers fail.
Juggling app loans that keep sending threats?
Learn how to tell a fake lending app from a real one, or replace several app loans with one Omozing EMI.
Can CIBIL ask me to pay money to protect my score?
No. Credit bureaus record what lenders report; they don’t collect fees to stop a score from dropping or to settle loans.
Can my score really drop overnight?
Your score changes when lenders report new information, which they do on the 9th, 16th, 23rd and last day of each month. No one can sell you a way to stop a genuine update.
I really owe a loan app money. Should I pay through the message link?
No. Pay through the lender’s own app or website, check the amount there first, and keep the receipt.
Where do I report a fake score-threat message?
Report it on the Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in) under “Chakshu”. If you lost money, call 1930 or file at cybercrime.gov.in.
Will I be told before a default is reported?
Yes. Regulated lenders must notify you before they report a default to the bureaus.
Omozing is the digital lending brand of Aparampaar Finance Private Limited, an RBI-registered non-deposit-taking NBFC. Loans are subject to credit assessment. See our regulatory disclosures and grievance redressal process.
