Stay away from fake Sbi Sms alerts asking to share confidential details: Government

In order to combat the escalation of phishing attempts, the Press Information Bureau (PIB), a nodal agency of the Government of India, has warned users of the State Bank of India (SBI) not to respond to fake SMS alerts asking for personal and banking information in order to unblock their accounts. Fraudsters often send a fake SMS alert in the name of SBI saying that your account has been blocked; to unblock the account, they invite you to enter your bank and private details by clicking on the URL indicated in the SMS. The link you click on will take you to a fraudulent SBI website, where you will be the victim of a phishing attempt.

According to a tweet from PIB “A circulating message claiming that your @TheOfficialSBI account has been blocked is #FAKE.” In response to such fraudulent activity, PIB said via a recent tweet that “Do not respond to emails/text messages asking to share your personal or bank details. If you receive such a message, report it immediately to report.phishing @sbi.co.in.”

Customers should be aware that SBI or any other bank never asks you to update or complete your KYC by clicking on links inserted in an SMS, so customers should be careful before clicking on a link asking them to update update their KYC or give account details in order to unlock their account.

Last month, in an attempt to counter ongoing bank SMS fraud, SBI informed its customers via a tweet that “Such SMS messages may lead to fraud, and you may lose your savings. Do not click on embedded links. Check the correct short code from SBI when receiving an SMS. Stay vigilant and stay #SafeWithSBI.”

SBI also mentioned on its website that “SBI never sends emails to obtain customer information. Please report immediately if you receive an email purporting to be from SBI to collect your username or your password or other personal information. This may be a phishing email.”

“State Bank or any of its representatives never emails/SMSs or calls you by phone to obtain your personal information, password, or one-time-use SMS password (high security ). Any email/SMS or phone call constitutes an attempt to fraudulently withdraw money from your account via Internet Banking. Never respond to such emails/SMS or phone calls. Please report immediately to report.phishing@ sbi.co.in if you receive such an email/SMS or phone call. Change your passwords immediately if you accidentally reveal your credentials,” the bank said on its website.

Never share your personal or bank details with anyone and never save your account information on a website. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) says: “If someone has fraudulently withdrawn money from your bank account, notify your bank immediately. When you notify the bank, remember to take the acknowledgment of receipt from your bank. The bank must resolve your complaint within 90 days from the date of receipt. If the transaction took place due to your negligence, i.e. because you shared your password, PIN, OTP, etc., you will have to bear the loss until you report it. at your bank. If the fraudulent transactions continue even after you have informed the bank, your bank will have to reimburse these sums. If you delay reporting, your loss will increase and it will be decided based on the guidelines of the RBI and the policy approved by your bank’s board.” Contact your bank promptly if you suspect a fraudulent transaction, according to the RBI , or you can give 14440 a missed call for more information.

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