Government Urges Public to Ignore RBI Impersonation Scam and Avoid Sharing Personal Banking Details.
The government has issued a strong warning against a fake RBI voicemail that is spreading across social media platforms, falsely alerting users to alleged credit card fraud and threatening that their bank accounts will be blocked. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has confirmed this is a credit card fraud scam and part of a broader RBI impersonation scam intended to steal sensitive financial information from unsuspecting users.
The RBI fraud message, impersonating the Reserve Bank of India, claims that unauthorized activity has been detected on a user's credit card and urges immediate action. However, officials have clarified that the RBI does not initiate such calls or messages. The PIB has urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid disclosing personal banking or credit card details in response to unsolicited voicemails, texts, or calls.
In response to rising incidents of such frauds, the RBI had earlier issued directives to regulated financial entities to implement robust safeguards by March 31, 2025. These include tracking accounts linked to revoked mobile numbers, as such numbers are often repurposed by scammers to operate money mule accounts or launch cyber fraud attacks.
Additionally, banks and other institutions must now adhere to TRAI’s communication guidelines, which require the use of verified number series—'1600xx' for transactional messages and '140xx' for promotional content. The credit card security alert system is also being strengthened by mandating pre-approved message templates and consumer consent through TRAI’s Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform.
The public has been advised to verify any suspicious communication through official channels and report fake messages to the PIB Fact Check team. These measures are part of a comprehensive effort to combat impersonation frauds and ensure credit card security across India’s digital and financial ecosystem.
The government has issued a strong warning against a fake RBI voicemail that is spreading across social media platforms, falsely alerting users to alleged credit card fraud and threatening that their bank accounts will be blocked. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has confirmed this is a credit card fraud scam and part of a broader RBI impersonation scam intended to steal sensitive financial information from unsuspecting users.
The RBI fraud message, impersonating the Reserve Bank of India, claims that unauthorized activity has been detected on a user's credit card and urges immediate action. However, officials have clarified that the RBI does not initiate such calls or messages. The PIB has urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid disclosing personal banking or credit card details in response to unsolicited voicemails, texts, or calls.
In response to rising incidents of such frauds, the RBI had earlier issued directives to regulated financial entities to implement robust safeguards by March 31, 2025. These include tracking accounts linked to revoked mobile numbers, as such numbers are often repurposed by scammers to operate money mule accounts or launch cyber fraud attacks.
Additionally, banks and other institutions must now adhere to TRAI’s communication guidelines, which require the use of verified number series—'1600xx' for transactional messages and '140xx' for promotional content. The credit card security alert system is also being strengthened by mandating pre-approved message templates and consumer consent through TRAI’s Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform.
The public has been advised to verify any suspicious communication through official channels and report fake messages to the PIB Fact Check team. These measures are part of a comprehensive effort to combat impersonation frauds and ensure credit card security across India’s digital and financial ecosystem.
Also Read: Wakeup call for SBI Credit card users
