Safety Tips

01Never pay for a pass

Every pass on PASSA is free or for a non-monetary barter. Anyone asking for money, a deposit, a “booking fee”, a “courier charge” or a UPI payment “to hold” a pass is breaking the rules, and is very likely a scammer.

Don’t pay. Please report them.

02Check the venue’s rules first

• Many Garba venues link passes to a name, photo or ID, or don’t allow transfers.
• Check the pass, the organiser’s website or the organiser directly before you give or accept a pass.
• If a transfer isn’t allowed, don’t do it. Entry can be refused, and that is between you and the venue.

03Protect your money and accounts

• Never share an OTP with anyone, for any reason. No genuine pass hand-over needs one.
• Never share your UPI PIN, card details, bank login or net-banking password.
• You never need to scan a QR code, open a payment link or enter a PIN to receive anything.
• Don’t install apps or open files someone sends you.
• Use a PASSA PIN you don’t use anywhere else, and never your bank or UPI PIN.

04Hand over safely

• Transfer digitally when the venue allows it, so you don’t need to meet at all.
• If you meet, choose a busy, public, well-lit place, such as a café, a mall entrance or the venue gate.
• Bring a friend if you can, and tell someone where you’re going and who you’re meeting.
• Don’t share your home address, and don’t get into a stranger’s vehicle.

05Watch for warning signs

• Pressure or urgency: “decide now”, “someone else is waiting”, “pay quickly to confirm”.
• Pushing you onto a payment app or another platform before anything is agreed.
• A story that keeps changing, or an offer that seems too good to be true.
• Questions about personal details that have nothing to do with the hand-over.
• Refusing to meet in public, or insisting on an odd location.

06Trust your instincts

PASSA does not verify mobile numbers or identities, and an alias is just a name someone chose. Treat every exchange as you would one with a stranger.

If something feels wrong, you can decline, cancel or walk away at any time. You don’t owe anyone a pass or an explanation.

07If something goes wrong

• Report the listing on PASSA, use the form at /report, or email admin@vaivik.in.
• If you’ve lost money or been threatened, contact the National Cyber Crime Helpline on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in. In an emergency, call 112.
• Keep screenshots of messages and notes of what happened. They help us and the police.