rural Uttar Pradesh

FEAR OF DIGITAL FRAUD: A COMPARISON BETWEEN PERCEIVED EASE OF USE AND ACTUAL ADOPTION IN RURAL UTTAR PRADESH Ria Singh, 10th Semester Student at Amity Law School, Lucknow Campus (India). Dr. Arvind Kumar Singh, Associate Professor at Amity Law School, Lucknow Campus (India). Dr Priya Dwivedi, Associate Professor at Institute of Professional Education and Research, Bhopal, MP (India). Download Manuscript doi.org/10.70183/lijdlr.2026.v04.76 This paper examines whether perceived ease of use in digital payment systems actually translates into meaningful and sustained adoption in rural Uttar Pradesh, or whether fear of digital fraud disrupts that transition. The study situates the issue within India’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem, where national growth figures coexist with uneven user confidence at the rural level. It argues that access to internet connectivity and payment interfaces does not by itself establish real digital inclusion. Rather, actual adoption depends upon legal confidence, procedural awareness, and the perceived availability of timely redress. Drawing on the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, RBI consumer protection norms, and official government data, the paper shows that rural users often experience digital participation under conditions of mistrust, asymmetric information, and structural vulnerability. The contrast between widespread household internet access and much lower capacity to conduct online banking or report cyber fraud demonstrates that interface simplicity alone cannot secure lawful and confident participation. The paper concludes that fear of digital fraud operates not merely as a private hesitation, but as a governance barrier that weakens financial inclusion and requires stronger user-centred legal and regulatory safeguards.