New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau (PIB), a federal government organization in India, has warned State Bank of India (SBI) clients not to reply to bogus SMS notifications requesting personal and financial information in order to get access to their accounts. Fraudsters routinely send a phony SMS alert on SBI’s behalf, stating that your account has been banned and encouraging you to enter your financial and personal details by accessing the URL mentioned in the SMS. After clicking the link, you will be led to a bogus SBI website and become a victim of phishing.
‘A post in circulation saying that your @TheOfficialSBI account has been banned is #FAKE,’ a PIB tweet said. In reaction to such fraudulent activities, PIB recently tweeted ‘Do not reply to emails or SMS messages requesting your personal or financial information. If you receive such a communication, please report it right away to [email protected]’. Customers should be aware that SBI or any other bank will never ask them to update or complete their KYC by clicking on links embedded in an SMS, so they should exercise caution before clicking on a link requesting that they update their KYC or provide account information in order to unlock their account.
In an effort to curb ongoing bank scams through SMS, SBI warned its clients via Twitter last month that ‘Such SMS might lead to a fraud, and you may lose your funds’. Embedded links should not be clicked. When you receive an SMS, search for the proper SBI shortcode. ‘Remain alert and #SafeWithSBI’. The SBI website also states that ‘SBI never sends an email to get client information. Please notify us immediately if you get any e-mail purportedly from SBI requesting your Username, Password, or any other personal information. This might be a scam email.’
‘State Bank or any of its representatives will never send you an email/SMS or call you on the phone asking for your personal information, password, or one-time SMS (high security) password. Any such e-mail, SMS, or phone call is an effort to use your Internet Banking account to withdraw money fraudulently. Never reply to such an email, text message, or phone call. Please submit your report right away. If you receive such an email, SMS, or phone call, please contact [email protected]. If you have mistakenly divulged your credentials, change your passwords right away,’ the bank says on its website.
Never give out your personal or financial information to anyone, and never save your account information on a website. ‘ If someone has illegally withdrawn money from your bank account, immediately contact your bank’ recommends the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). When you tell your bank, make sure to acquire confirmation. Your complaint must be resolved within 90 days of receipt by the bank.
‘If the transaction occurred due to your carelessness, such as leaking your password, PIN, or OTP, you will be liable for the loss until you tell your bank. If the fraudulent transactions continue after you notify your bank, your bank must repay you for those monies. If you delay reporting, your loss will rise, as determined by RBI guidelines and the policy implemented by your bank’s board’. According to the RBI, if you suspect a fraudulent transaction, you should contact your bank immediately or call 14440 for additional information.
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