Fraudsters target SBI customers in mobile number change fraud; bank asks customers to stay alert
ET Online
Synopsis
SBI has alerted customers about a new fraud targeting pensioners, where scammers attempt to replace registered mobile numbers to intercept banking alerts. Fraudsters posing as bank officials promise faster PPO processing or threaten pension blockage to extract sensitive information. SBI advises caution, urging customers to avoid sharing personal details and to verify app authenticity to safeguard their accounts.
By Sneha Kulkarni, ET Online
State Bank of India (SBI) has issued a caution notice in public interest to its customers about a new type of fraud where scammers try to replace a customer’s registered mobile number with their number. The notice has been posted by the bank on its official handle on the social media platform X. According to the post, once the fraudsters succeed, they get banking alerts linked to that number on their own numbers and the customer does not get to know about the transactions being done in his/her account. To protect customers, SBI has explained how these fraudsters operate and suggested the ways its customers can stay safe from the fraudsters.
The bank said in its post, “You receive a call/SMS offering “faster processing of your Pension Payment Order (PPO)” or stating “verification pending for your PPO”. They threaten to block or not release your pension if no action is taken immediately, the bank said in the post.
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The PPO number is a unique 12-digit identifier assigned by EPFO to each pensioner covered under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS). It functions as an ID for all pension-related transactions as well as communication.
Do not click on the link sent by the fraudster and do not disclose your personal information, SBI said in the post.
SBI advises customers to never share personal/financial information such as username, password, ATM PIN, or OTP with anyone.
The bank said that SBI customers can contact their home/nearest branch or call SBI customer care at 18001234/18002100 for any doubt/query.
As per the SBI post, “Always read SMS, email alerts carefully and don’t click on any suspicious, unknown links received through SMS/WhatsApp.”
Your registered mobile number is the key to your bank account. Keep it safe, keep it secure and protect your account from fraud, the bank said in the post.
If you have recently changed your mobile number and plan to update the same in your SBI account, follow these steps;
Step 1: Go to www.onlinesbi.com
Step 2: Log into www.onlinesbi.com
Step 3: Navigate to ‘“Profile-Personal Details-Change mobile number.” under "My Accounts", appearing on the left panel of the screen.
Step 4: On the next page, select the “account number”, input the “mobile number” and click on “submit”.
Step 5: The last 2 digits of the registered mobile number (non-editable) will be displayed to you.
The status of mapping will be sent to you on your registered mobile number.
SBI in June 2025 issued a public advisory regarding the authenticity of calls originating from the numbers beginning with +91-1600, aiming to strengthen consumer safety in the digital banking ecosystem.
SBI will call you from these numbers: Check the numbers to avoid cyber frauds
The bank also said that these numbers can be used only for transactional and service-related calls.
SBI said in its post, "If you receive a call from a number starting with +91-1600, rest assured-it's a genuine and legitimate call. These numbers are used for transactional and service-related calls to customers, helping you distinguish legitimate calls from spam and fraudulent ones. Do not engage with unsolicited calls and protect yourself from cyber frauds."
https://x.com/TheOfficialSBI/status/1929805522196201955
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How does SBI mobile number change fraud work?
Explaining how this fraud works, SBI said in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), that fraudsters were calling pensioners, promising them faster processing of their PPO or completing the pending verification of their PPO. They take sensitive information from pensioners. If pensioners don’t comply with their instructions, they threaten pensioners that their pension would be blocked/stopped.The bank said in its post, “You receive a call/SMS offering “faster processing of your Pension Payment Order (PPO)” or stating “verification pending for your PPO”. They threaten to block or not release your pension if no action is taken immediately, the bank said in the post.
444-day Special FD interest rates: Check SBI FD vs Indian Bank FD vs IDBI Bank FD vs Canara Bank FD rates; know maturity amounts on Rs 1 lakh investment
What is the Pension Payment Order (PPO) number?
The PPO number is a unique 12-digit identifier assigned by EPFO to each pensioner covered under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS). It functions as an ID for all pension-related transactions as well as communication.Do not click on the link sent by the fraudster and do not disclose your personal information, SBI said in the post.
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SBI says it never asks for a pensioner’s PPO verification through phone, SMS, links or ATM visits.Here’s what SBI says on how to stay safe from such scams
SBI advises customers to never share personal/financial information such as username, password, ATM PIN, or OTP with anyone.
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It has recommended its customers to download/update banking apps only through the Google Play Store/App store.The bank said that SBI customers can contact their home/nearest branch or call SBI customer care at 18001234/18002100 for any doubt/query.
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To report a cybercrime, bank customers can call cybercrime helpline number 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in, SBI said.As per the SBI post, “Always read SMS, email alerts carefully and don’t click on any suspicious, unknown links received through SMS/WhatsApp.”
Your registered mobile number is the key to your bank account. Keep it safe, keep it secure and protect your account from fraud, the bank said in the post.
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How to change SBI mobile number online
If you have recently changed your mobile number and plan to update the same in your SBI account, follow these steps;Step 1: Go to www.onlinesbi.com
Step 2: Log into www.onlinesbi.com
Step 3: Navigate to ‘“Profile-Personal Details-Change mobile number.” under "My Accounts", appearing on the left panel of the screen.
Step 4: On the next page, select the “account number”, input the “mobile number” and click on “submit”.
Step 5: The last 2 digits of the registered mobile number (non-editable) will be displayed to you.
The status of mapping will be sent to you on your registered mobile number.
Calls from +91-1600 numbers are genuine
SBI in June 2025 issued a public advisory regarding the authenticity of calls originating from the numbers beginning with +91-1600, aiming to strengthen consumer safety in the digital banking ecosystem.SBI will call you from these numbers: Check the numbers to avoid cyber frauds
The bank also said that these numbers can be used only for transactional and service-related calls.
SBI said in its post, "If you receive a call from a number starting with +91-1600, rest assured-it's a genuine and legitimate call. These numbers are used for transactional and service-related calls to customers, helping you distinguish legitimate calls from spam and fraudulent ones. Do not engage with unsolicited calls and protect yourself from cyber frauds."
https://x.com/TheOfficialSBI/status/1929805522196201955
