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Vigilance - Key to avoid being a victim of online frauds

RBL Bank Jul 05, 2022

With greater digital penetration and an encouraging rise in online banking, there has also been a growing concern around online banking fraud and what can be done to prevent such instances. RBL Bank has periodic communication with all its customers through online and offline mediums of how fraud can be identified and prevented. Moreover, there are swift resolutions and a support system available for fraud victims. To check what is helping and what is not, we reached out to some of our patrons who have had a brush with such unfortunate experiences.

Sharing their stories:

1. Age is just a Number

Mrs. Ranjana Deshpande and her family are among RBL Bank's oldest customers. Her late husband would manage any banking related communication for the longest time, and Mrs. Ranjana had to take over the charge after his passing away a few years ago.

"Forget about online banking, I initially even dreaded physical visits to the bank. Learning everything at the age of 68 can be a little overwhelming, especially where your hard-earned money is involved. But the bank’s staff was supportive from the word go, and made the entire process quite easy for me."

"I actually looked forward to switching to online banking during the pandemic, knowing that my bank’s support services were just a quick call away. It made banking a lot more manageable for me. My children would remind me to be cautious while transacting online, and for good reason. One keeps reading about these online banking frauds on a routine basis!"

"One afternoon, I received a call from a person who identified themselves as a bank executive. They told me that my KYC was due for the year, and that they can assist me right away on the call. For a moment, I considered going ahead with it, since that would have made my job easier."

"The person then went on to explain that they would need me to share my internet banking ID and password for the same. At that instant, I sensed that something about this was not quite right. My bank has always made it clear that they would never ask any customer to share their details like account ID or password for any reason."

"I immediately disconnected the call, thankful that I did not fall prey to an online banking fraud. All it takes for you is to be a little vigilant and remember the important instructions that your bank reiterates, and you can bank without worry at any age!"

2. There is a first time for everything

Shikha Gupta opened an independent savings account with RBL Bank when she turned 21. Her parents had encouraged her to go through the end-to-end process on her own, wanting her to be able to budget and manage her spends, and learn the practical aspects of banking.

"Although young people are expected to take to new technologies like a fish to water, it's a different story when it comes to money. As a young girl dependent on my parents, decisions around money used to be overwhelming, something that you'd expect grown-ups to take care of. Perhaps this is why my parents insisted on me opening a new bank account all by myself."

"I was surprised and relieved to find out that RBL Bank allows you to open a savings account entirely through an online procedure. This was a convenient option for me as I could do everything from the comfort of my home."

"The first few weeks after opening a bank account were exciting. It felt great to be in control of my pocket monies and stipend, and to be able to track my expenses online. It was liberating to be able to make these decisions, and that also made it seem like a big enough responsibility."

"I'm hardly someone who would get excited at receiving transactional emails, but I began enjoying those email alerts and communications. I guess it made me feel all grown-up. This one time, I was clearing the spam folder of my email inbox when I noticed that a banking communication had ended up in this folder. Curious, I previewed the email which said that my online banking password was due for its periodic update. The email had a link to reset the password."

"I was curious as to why such an important email had landed in the spam folder, when I realised that this was probably one of those phishing scams that the bank warns about. These emails are made to look like official emails from your bank, and clicking on the link would have helped a fraudster steal my login details."

"I immediately hit the delete button on all spam emails, grateful for the early exposure to this experience and to my wonderful bank that has always reminded me to be mindful of even the smallest decisions around my bank account!"

3. A stitch in time

Archana and Vijay have a joint savings account with RBL Bank. A working couple, they split their roles and responsibilities including their expenses, and a joint account helps them manage everything seamlessly.

"Most of our transactions are done using our credit card, as it helps us plan and manage our expenses as well as get access to some wonderful offers. Archana usually carries the card with her, while I have the details by-heart.

"She's naturally in the habit of immediately forwarding all transactional SMSes to me, even during busy days so that we both can keep a track of our spends. One afternoon, she forwarded a transactional SMS. I was at my desk, and noticed that the transaction amount was unusually high. I mean, we normally discuss an expense like this in advance."

"I decided to give Archana a quick call to verify, and thank goodness that I did. Neither of us had purchased anything, and we realised that a fraudster had managed to skim our credit card information. We quickly went into damage control mode."

"I remembered reading that our bank has an SOS number for such emergencies. Also, in a situation like this, the first step should be to block our card to stop the fraudsters from further misusing our information. I immediately made the call and our card was duly blocked by the bank authorities. We were also reassured and guided by the call executive on the next steps to be taken, taking away our worries."

"The incident has only made us more aware and even more thankful of being customers of a bank that helps us deal with such unfortunate events quickly and with ease."

As we interacted with our customers, we realised how every small bank communication plays an important role in highlighting precautions and fraud-prevention tactics. From Mrs. Deshpande and Shikha who managed to prevent a fraudulent transaction from their RBL Bank accounts, to Archana and Vijay who promptly got in touch with us through our SOS emergency mechanism - we are grateful to have customers like you who contribute to a safe banking environment.

If you have been a victim, you can register a complaint immediately by dialing 1930 or visit the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.

Disclaimer: Articles published on the website are merely indicative and suggestive in nature and do not amount to solicitation. The contents do not guarantee the desired returns and/or results. Reader is advised to exercise discretion and consult independent advisors for achieving desired result. Visitors to this blog/ website w.r.t products & services offered by RBL Bank Limited herein, shall ensure that the comments / feedback posted shall be restricted to the contents published herein and shall not contain such language that may be un-parliamentary or against any religion, caste, section of society, political view etc. While our endeavor is to publish the comments that are submitted, however, all comments/feedback shall be subject to internal review by RBL Bank Limited. We do not guarantee that the comments that are submitted will be published.

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