Received message saying ‘Your SBI account has been blocked’? Check how real these texts are

Scammers are sending text messages reading “Dear A/c Holder Your SBI Bank Documents has expired A/c will be Blocked. Update Your Document Now” to people.

New Delhi: In India, scammers are deploying various innovative measures to loot the bank accounts of innocuous people. In one such manner, scammers are sending a text message which reads “Dear A/c Holder Your SBI Bank Documents has expired A/c will be Blocked. Update Your Document Now” to people. 

Since many people in India have opened their bank accounts with the State Bank of India (SBI), the message creates a sense of panic. A link is also attached to the fake message. The malicious link is to be used by the customers to upload the documents. However, you shouldn’t click on any such links. 

The fraud messages have created a panic in the public. To inform more people about the scam, Press Information Bureau (PIB) has published a fact check claiming that the message is fake. 

Via its fact-checking handle on Twitter, @PIBFactCheck, PIB has clarified that people should not respond to any such SMS and emails. The department has also urged people to report such messages on report.phishing@sbi.co.in.

IN a tweet, PIB said, “A message in circulation claiming that your @TheOfficialSBI account has been blocked is #FAKE #PIBFactCheck. 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"

A message in circulation claiming that your @TheOfficialSBI account has been blocked is #FAKE #PIBFactCheck

▶️ 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 pic.twitter.com/HXj8Tz1svh

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) January 6, 2022

For the unversed, phishing is malpractice used by scammers to loot money or gain crucial information. In phishing, a message or e-mail is sent to people. At the first glance, the text reads quite genuine and that’s the reason why many have fallen for it in the past. 

On the pretext of a lottery, KYC update, or debit card block, thugs have looted money from the bank accounts of many in India. Phishing is also used to steal important IDs/passwords.