Bank Nominee Update Scam by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

Email scams copy the logos, colours and wording of real companies, and the sender address often differs from the real one by one letter. Bank Nominee Update Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message or call says nominee details are missing and your account will be frozen. The form or OTP they ask for opens your account to the scammer.

What bank nominee update scam looks like by email

• A login page that opens from the email and asks for your password and OTP.
• A sender address that is almost, but not exactly, the real domain.
• A button that says "Verify account" or "View invoice".

The scammer sends a message in the name of a bank or a savings platform, saying that adding a nominee is now mandatory and the deadline is close. The wording is plain and calm, and it includes a link and a line that your account may be restricted. Because it is a real topic in the news, people do not question it much.

Red flags to check on the email

• A message says your account will be frozen without a nominee.
• A link is used to add a nominee.
• The form asks for login, ID number and OTP.
• A 48-hour or same-day deadline is given.
• Hover over the link: the address does not match the company website.
• The email asks you to log in through the link rather than through the official app.

What to do

1. Do not tap the link or share any OTP.
2. Check your nominee details in the bank's official app or at the branch.
3. Add a nominee only through those official routes.
4. If you typed a password on the page, change it at once and turn on two-step verification.
5. Do not open the attachment and do not press the button.
6. Go to the company website by typing it yourself and check your account there.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call your bank on the number on your card or passbook and block net banking and cards.
2. Call 1930 and give the transaction details and time.
3. Ask the bank to review changed contact details and payees.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and form screenshots.

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

Safeavio's scam check can review the message you paste and explain the signs of pressure, fake authority and OTP asks, and the link check looks at the link before you open it. It cannot tell whether your account needs a nominee, so use the bank's official app or branch. Safeavio does not read your messages on its own. Ask your bank.

Full guide: Bank Nominee Update Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, phone call, WhatsApp.

Questions