RBI launches new campaign against Fraud SMSes

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To stop fraudsters promising prize money from the RBI and to warn people against these type of scams, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched an SMS campaign and a missed call helpline.

Under this Publis Awareness Initiative of RBI titled "Suno RBI Kya Kehta Hai", the Reserve Bank will send messages cautioning the people against falling prey to unsolicited and fictitious offers received through emails/SMSes/phone calls. The caution messages will be sent from ‘RBISAY’ sender id.

Typically, the fraudsters make calls or send SMSes and emails to gullible people promising lotteries and prize money from the Reserve Bank -- at times from the RBI Governor himself -- to trap them into sharing their banking account details or paying some fees or charges to get the money.

The Reserve Bank has been alerting members of the public against such offers through press releases (https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/RBICautions.aspx) issued from time to time. This is the first time it will use the same media (SMS and emails) as those used by the fraudsters.

"Dont pay fees or charges to get large sums in return. RBI/RBI Governor/Government never sends such email/SMS/call," the central bank says in one such SMS, while asking them to give a missed call to a phone number (8691960000). The missed call to this helpline number is returned with another call that provides more information on steps to be taken in such cases -- including filing of complaint with the cyber cell of the local police and on a specially designed website sachet.rbi.org.in.

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