SBI Users Alert! Govt warns you delete THIS message right away or lose money

New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau (PIB), a central organisation of the Indian government, has urged State Bank of India (SBI) customers not to respond to fake SMS alerts asking for personal and banking information in order to access their accounts. 

Fraudsters frequently send a bogus SMS alert on behalf of SBI, claiming that your account has been blocked and urging you to enter your financial and personal information by visiting the URL provided in the SMS. You will be taken to a counterfeit SBI website after clicking the link, and you will be a victim of phishing.

According to a PIB tweet, “A message in circulation claiming that your @TheOfficialSBI account has been blocked is #FAKE." In response to counter such fraudulent activity PIB has said via a recent Tweet that “Do not respond to emails/SMS asking to share your personal or banking details. If you receive any such message, report immediately at report.phishing@sbi.co.in."

Customers should be aware that SBI or any other bank will never ask you to update or complete your KYC by clicking on links embedded in an SMS, therefore they should be wary before clicking on a link requesting that they update their KYC or provide account information in order to unlock their account.

SBI alerted its customers via a tweet last month that "Such SMS can lead to a fraud, and you can lose your savings," in an attempt to combat ongoing bank frauds via SMS. Embedded links should not be clicked. When you receive an SMS, look for the correct SBI short code. Stay vigilant and #SafeWithSBI."

SBI website also reads that “SBI never sends email for getting customer information. Please report immediately if you receive any e-mail purported to be originated by SBI to gather your Username or Password or any other personal information. This may be a phishing mail."

"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 phishing@sbi.co.in. 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 others, or save your account information on a website. "If someone has fraudulently withdrawn money from your bank account, notify your bank immediately," the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) advises. Remember to get confirmation from your bank when you notify them. The bank has 90 days from the date of receipt to settle your complaint. If the transaction occurred as a result of your negligence, such as disclosing your password, PIN, or OTP, you will be responsible for the loss until you notify your bank. If the fraudulent transactions continue after you have notified your bank, your bank will be required to reimburse you for those funds. Your loss would increase if you postpone reporting, and it will be determined by the RBI standards and the policy adopted by your bank's board."

If you suspect a fraudulent transaction, contact your bank immediately, or call 14440 for more information, according to the RBI.