Don’t take fake messages or emails lightly. To know their severity ask about them from a person who has already been financially scammed because of them. It’s the most frustrating feeling about which you can’t do anything, other than just register a formal complaint into Cyber Cell. Your hard-earned money is gone within seconds and you can’t do anything about it. These scammers, without any solid help from the Government, are untraceable and can’t be recognized easily. The digital methods they use to scam people are very realistic & mind twisting. One such method is called SMS scamming or SMS Phishing or smishing, a way to defraud people using deceptive messages. But you can prevent yourself from being a victim of smishing through the below points.
Steps To Recognize A Fake SMS From A Bank
The Reserve Bank of India or RBI, earlier this year, had issued an awareness circular named “BE(A)WARE – Be Aware and Beware!”. This booklet is a detailed guide on how to intercept fake or potentially spammer messages on a prior basis. So here are the ways to stay away from these defrauding messages.
Banks Always Use Special Numbers
Fraudulent often use 10-digit mobile numbers to send you fake messages, which might contain bogus links, that are capable of redirecting you to a bank’s fake website page to defraud you. But an official messaging number of a bank is special, not a regular 10-digit one. Like “BP-CBSSI” is written instead of a number when SBI sends a message to its customers.
SMS Offering Rewards Or Threats
An SMS containing a reward amount or a threat that informs you about your account getting blocked or your card getting expired is a big red flag. Scammers use these types of messages to lure others into their financial trap. Don’t call them back or do what these messages instruct you to. And if you believe that you won a reward from the bank then go to your bank’s closest branch and ask them about it.
SMS Asking For Your Sensitive Info
Fake SMS from scammers always pretends to be from your banks & asks you about your sensitive information like personal details, passwords, or OTPs. So, stay away from these messages or delete them right away.
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Don’t Fall For Loan Offers
The Reserve Bank of India has always suggested citizens not fall for lucrative loan offers, even from the officials. Scammers use these types of loan-offering messages to lure users into clicking on defrauding links. Once you are redirected to a fake website page, you will be asked to enter your details. Later these details will be used against you.
