Annual Fee and Bank Charges Refund Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

A phone call lets the scammer talk fast, sound confident and keep you from thinking. The caller ID can be faked, so it proves nothing. Annual Fee and Bank Charges Refund Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A caller says the bank charged you extra fees and will refund them if you share an OTP or open a link. The refund request is a payment out.

What annual fee and bank charges refund scam looks like over the phone

• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.
• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.

The scammer picks a believable small amount, such as Rs 2,359 for an annual fee or GST, and says that it was charged wrongly. They know that people feel annoyed about bank charges, so a refund seems a pleasant surprise. They use the name of your bank and say that it is part of a service campaign or an RBI directive.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A caller offers a refund of fees you did not know about.
• You are asked to approve a request or read out a code to receive it.
• The refund must be done today or will be lost.
• A link or support app is used for the refund.
• You are told to keep the call secret.
• The caller wants you to install an app to "fix" something.

What to do

1. End the call and do not approve any request.
2. Check your statement in the bank's official app for the fee.
3. Contact the bank on the number on your card if the fee looks wrong.
4. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
5. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
6. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 immediately and give the transaction details.
2. Tell your bank on the number on your card or passbook and ask them to block further payments.
3. Uninstall any support app and change banking passwords.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the call log and screenshots.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's Money Shield includes the reminder that you never need a PIN or OTP to receive money, which is the heart of this scam. The scam check can review follow-up messages and links that you paste and show why they look risky. It cannot see your bank's fees, so check your statement in the official app. Check your statement. Use your bank app.

Full guide: Annual Fee and Bank Charges Refund Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp, email.

Questions