FASTag KYC Update and Recharge 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. FASTag KYC Update and Recharge Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A text says your FASTag will be blocked without a KYC update or recharge and gives a number or link. The target is your card and UPI details.

What fastag kyc update and recharge scam looks like over the phone

• 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.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.

The scammer sends the message to many mobile numbers, since most car owners have a tag and many are linked to a bank account. The text names a tag issuer or a transport body and says the tag will be deactivated at midnight. Some people search online for a customer care number after a failed payment at a toll and land on a fake listing that looks real.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• It says the tag will be blocked tonight.
• It gives a mobile number or link for support.
• It asks for a recharge through a link or UPI request.
• The caller asks you to install a support 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. Do not use the link or call the number in the message.
2. Check your tag balance and KYC inside the issuer's own app or the official bank app.
3. Recharge only through that official app or the bank's official site.
4. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
5. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).
6. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.

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 1930 quickly with the payment details.
2. Ask your bank through the number on your card to block the card and UPI if you shared details.
3. If you installed an app, uninstall it and review permissions.
4. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the message and call time.

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

Safeavio Sentinel's scam check reads a pasted text and notes the night-time deadline, the support number and the recharge demand. The link check looks at the address for lookalike and shortened-link patterns. The phone scan can list installed remote-support style apps and risky permissions. It cannot see your tag balance or issuer records, and the check is only as good as the text or link you give it.

Full guide: FASTag KYC Update and Recharge Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, fake app.

Questions