Fake e-KYC Video Call and Selfie 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. Fake e-KYC Video Call and Selfie Scam is one of the ways this shows up: 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.

What fake e-kyc video call and selfie scam looks like over the phone

• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.

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.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• 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.
• You are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes.
• You are asked to move money to a "safe account".

What to do

1. End the call and do not join the link.
2. Start any KYC yourself from the lender's official app.
3. Do not show documents or read out codes to a caller.
4. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.
5. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.
6. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.

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. If you shared documents, check your credit report for loans you do not recognise.
2. Call 1930 if any money has been taken.
3. Report to the real lender or bank through its official app or card number so they can flag the attempt.
4. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the call time and number.

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

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.

Full guide: Fake e-KYC Video Call and Selfie Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, fake app.

Questions