Refund messages after India AI summit spark confusion amid phishing warning

Attendees of last week’s India AI Impact Summit were left confused after receiving WhatsApp messages seeking banking details to process refunds on prepaid cards used at the event, even as a government advisory warned of a phishing scam targeting participants.

Several attendees, including staff at Business Today, reported receiving messages on 22 February from event partner Dreamcast regarding refunds of unused balances on cashless cards issued during the summit.

The message stated: “Thank you for attending our India AI Impact Summit 2026. To proceed with your refund, please complete your banking details using the link below.” It included the recipient’s card number and phone number and added a deadline: “Please submit this information before 2026-02-27 23:30:00 to ensure timely processing.”
 

 

While the communication appeared official, the government, on 22 February, issued a public warning that fraudulent refund messages were circulating via SMS and WhatsApp and urged attendees not to share sensitive information.

“We urge all attendees to remain vigilant against unsolicited requests for card numbers or WhatsApp contact details. Please ensure you are referencing official channels only for any event-related updates,” the government statement said.

Confusion was compounded by instructions printed on the back of the physical cards, which indicated that refunds would be governed by event organisers’ policies. “The refund of unused value and security deposits will be governed by specific event’s policy. Please check with the event organisers for more information,” the card stated.

Dreamcast, which provided the summit’s cashless payment system, said it operated under a “pure agent” arrangement and only facilitated the refund window before transferring remaining funds to the organiser.

“Regarding the policy mentioned on the cashless card, Dreamcast operates under a 100% pure agent agreement for cashless services and platform. As per this structure, we facilitate the refund window (5–7 days), after which the entire balance amount is transferred to the event organiser (end client),” the company said in response to Business Today's queries.

The firm also confirmed that at least one of the circulating messages was legitimate. Business Today has reached out to the IndiaAI Mission, an independent business division under the Ministry of Electronics & IT, for a comment. 

“We confirm that the message was sent from Dreamcast’s official WhatsApp number. The refund link mentioned in that communication is authentic and safe to use for claiming the balance amount,” it said.

At the same time, the company acknowledged that fraudulent messages had been reported.

“In light of recent advisories around phishing attempts, we have been aware of certain fraudulent messages circulating since yesterday. Our support team is actively assisting users in verifying official communications and ensuring a smooth and secure refund process,” Dreamcast told Business Today.

The overlapping warnings and legitimate refund outreach left some attendees uncertain about whether to trust the messages or share their banking details, highlighting the risks of scams following large public events.