Fake e-KYC Video Call and Selfie Scam
A caller says a video KYC is needed to keep your account active, records your face and ID, then uses them for loans and accounts.
Genuine banks and lenders do use video KYC, so the scam borrows a real process. A caller or message asks you to join a video call to finish KYC, hold your Aadhaar or PAN to the camera and read out a code. The call is recorded. The recording, the photo of your documents and your voice then help the scammer pass real verification steps on other services in your name.
How the scam works
The scammer starts with a call or WhatsApp message from a person claiming to work for a bank, wallet or lending app. They say your account is limited or a loan has been pre-approved and that a short video KYC will unlock it. They sound calm and helpful and use words from real processes, like liveness check and agent verification.
The pressure is a time slot or a limit. You are told the video session link is valid for one hour or that the account will be reviewed at the end of the day. They stay on the line and guide you step by step, which stops you from thinking or asking a family member. You are asked to show both sides of your documents and to turn your head to prove you are live.
Your face, voice, documents and the OTP you read out are everything someone needs to attempt a loan or open a wallet in your name. Sometimes they ask you to download a screen sharing app to help, and from there they can approve payments. You may find a loan or a debit weeks later with no idea how it started.
An example of what you may see
Example call (invented): 'Hello ma'am, I am from the verification team. To activate your pre-approved limit, please join the video KYC link I am sending now. Keep your Aadhaar and PAN ready, show both sides, then read the six digit code that you receive on your phone.' Note the unrequested call, the urgency, the documents shown on camera and the code read aloud. Real video KYC is started by you inside the official app.
This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.
Red flags
- You did not start the KYC and the call came to you.
- The caller sends a video link through chat.
- You are asked to read out an OTP during the video.
- You are told to install a screen sharing app.
- The caller rushes you with a one hour limit.
- They ask you to show documents to a person you cannot verify.
What to do right now
- End the call and do not join the link.
- Start any KYC yourself from the lender's official app.
- Do not show documents or read out codes to a caller.
- Call the number on your card or the official website to ask whether KYC is pending.
- Warn family members who often get such calls.
If you already paid or shared a code
- If you shared documents, check your credit report for loans you do not recognise.
- Call 1930 if any money has been taken.
- Report to the real lender or bank through its official app or card number so they can flag the attempt.
- File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the call time and number.
National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Report online at cybercrime.gov.in. Do it fast: the sooner your bank is told, the better the chance that money can be held.
Where this scam shows up
Read how it looks on each channel:
How Safeavio helps
Safeavio Sentinel can check a message or link you receive about a video KYC and show why it looks risky, such as urgency, an OTP request or fake authority. The phone scan lists installed apps and flags screen sharing style apps from outside a store. It cannot join or monitor your calls, and it cannot tell whether a caller is real. Use official apps and the number on your card instead.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions people ask
Is video KYC itself legitimate?
Yes, regulated lenders do use it, but you start it inside their official app or website. You are not asked to read out an OTP to a caller. An unexpected call pushing you into a video session is a warning sign.
Why would they want me to turn my head on camera?
A liveness check is part of real KYC, but scammers copy it so recordings of your face can be reused. If the request came through a call you did not expect, end it and check with the lender.
What if I already showed my Aadhaar on video?
Watch your credit report and alerts, and report the call on cybercrime.gov.in. Consider locking Aadhaar biometrics on the official service. Tell your bank if the caller mentioned your account. Keep the call time, number and any link they sent for the complaint.