State Bank of India is warning its customers about a WhatsApp scam

If you have ever received a message or call from someone from your bank asking for your debit/credit card details, read this carefully! State Bank of India (SBI) has released a warning to its customers alerting them of a fraudulent message that is being circulated via WhatsApp and some other social media platforms. [caption id=“attachment_6258141” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] The State Bank of India.[/caption] The message apparently asks users to share their financial credentials, eventually tricking them into sharing other sensitive details as well.

A report by The New Indian Express  reveals that, under this scam, fraudsters call bank customers and convince them to upgrade or renew their existing debit or credit card. After they agree on that, they ask for their debit/credit card numbers, CVV and expiry date. (These are crucial details that you must never share with anyone.) Once these details are shared, they tell the customers and that they will receive a link through SMS or a WhatsApp message, with a link attached to it, and that they need to click on the link to complete the process. When customers fall for that, they click on the link. While this does not do anything on the surface, the link apparently installs a malicious app in the background, which gathers all One Time Passwords (OTP) from the victim’s phone and sends it to these con artists. Now, the fraudsters have the customer’s card details and all the OTPs now reach him too, so they can easily make any transactions. SBI says, in case of any incidence like this, customers can call the toll-free number 1-800-111109 and report the fraudulent transaction. To claim the refund from the bank, make sure you file a complaint within three days of the transaction. You can also send an SMS to 9212500888 by typing “Problem” or report on Twitter @SBICard_Connect.