Dormant Account Reactivation Scam by email

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

Email is slower than SMS, so these scams usually pretend to be a bill, a refund, an account lock or a job offer and ask you to log in or open a file. Dormant Account Reactivation Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message says your unused bank account will be closed unless you reactivate it through a link. The page steals your login and OTP.

What dormant account reactivation scam looks like by email

• A sender address that is almost, but not exactly, the real domain.
• A button that says "Verify account" or "View invoice".
• An attachment such as a PDF, ZIP or HTML file you did not expect.

The scammer sends the same message to many numbers and hopes that some of them will have an old or rarely used account. The text says that the account has been inactive for a long time and will be closed within hours. It uses the bank's name, a short link and a line saying that any balance will be moved to a government fund, which sounds serious.

Red flags to check on the email

• A message says your account will be closed today.
• A link is offered to reactivate it.
• The page asks for password, card PIN and OTP together.
• The message mentions moving your balance to a fund.
• The tone is urgent and the grammar is slightly off.
• Hover over the link: the address does not match the company website.

What to do

1. Do not tap the link or enter any detail.
2. Check the account's status in the bank's official app or at the branch.
3. Do not share an OTP or card PIN for any activation.
4. Check the full sender address, not just the display name.
5. Report it as phishing in your email app and delete it.
6. If you typed a password on the page, change it at once and turn on two-step verification.

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 passbook and block net banking, cards and UPI.
2. Call 1930 and give the time, amount and transaction IDs.
3. Ask the bank to check for changed contact details or payees on the account.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and page screenshots.

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

Safeavio's scam check reviews the text you paste or share and gives a plain verdict with reasons such as urgency, fake authority and OTP asks, while the link check looks at the link for lookalike domains and shortened addresses. It cannot see your account status, so use your bank's official app or visit the branch to check. Ask your bank.

Full guide: Dormant Account Reactivation Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp, phone call.

Questions