Bank Account Rental Mule Scam over the phone

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

On a call the pressure is live: no time to read, no time to check, and a rule that you must not tell anyone. Bank Account Rental Mule Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A stranger offers commission to let your bank account receive and forward money. The funds are stolen, and you can face the consequences.

What bank account rental mule scam looks like over the phone

• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.
• A calm, official voice that already knows your name or the last digits of your card.
• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.

The scammer recruits people who need money, such as students, job seekers and people in debt, by promising a commission of a few thousand rupees for a short period. They say the business is legal, such as online trading, a game or a foreign client who cannot use their own account. They avoid giving a company name you can check and use only chat to talk.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• You are offered money for letting someone use your account.
• You must forward received money to other accounts.
• Your net banking login, card or chequebook is requested.
• The business is described as legal but has no company name to check.
• The caller asks for an OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN or CVV.
• You are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes.

What to do

1. Say no. Never lend, rent or share your account, card or UPI.
2. Do not forward any money that arrives from a stranger.
3. Tell your bank about unexpected credits using the number on your card.
4. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.
5. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
6. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.

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 your bank on the number on your passbook and block net banking, cards and UPI.
2. Call 1930 and report what you shared and received.
3. Keep all chats, receipts and transaction records for the report.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in and cooperate with official channels; we do not give legal advice.

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

Safeavio's scam check can review the offer message you paste and show signs such as easy money, urgency and a request for banking details, and Money Shield asks you to verify before you send money to anyone. It cannot judge the legal risk of a particular offer, so say no and talk to your bank if you are unsure. Say no.

Full guide: Bank Account Rental Mule Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, social media, fake app.

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