Mobile Number Deactivation KYC Text Scam
A text says your SIM will be deactivated unless you update KYC today and asks you to call a number or install an app that hands over your phone.
Messages arrive claiming to be from your mobile operator, warning that your SIM KYC is incomplete and that the connection will be deactivated within 24 hours. They tell you to call a mobile number or install a support app. The person who answers is not from your operator. They walk you through steps that give them remote access to your phone, which means your banking apps, messages and OTPs are exposed.
How the scam works
The scammer sends texts from numbers that look like ordinary mobiles or from lookalike headers. The words are crisp and official sounding: expiry, verification, last notice. Because most people use only one number for banking and everything else, the thought of losing it makes the message very scary, and many recipients call at once without checking anything.
The person who picks up says they will update your KYC in a minute. They ask you to download a customer support or screen sharing app and to tell them the code that appears. They may ask you to send a Rs 10 recharge to 'confirm the number is active'. Each step feels small and technical, so you follow along without seeing where it leads.
The payoff is remote access. Once the app is running and the code is shared, the scammer can see your screen, read OTPs as they arrive and sometimes tap buttons. They open your UPI or banking app while you are still talking, and move money out. Alternatively they use the fake KYC as a way to ask for Aadhaar copies to order duplicate SIMs.
An example of what you may see
Example message (invented): 'Dear customer, your SIM KYC has expired. Your number will be deactivated in 24 hours. Call our verification officer now or download the support app from the link to complete the update.' On the call, the officer says: 'Open the app, tell me the nine digit code, and then I will update your KYC.' A real operator does not ask for a code from your screen or tell you to install an app to keep your number.
This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.
Red flags
- A text says your number will be deactivated within hours.
- It asks you to call a personal mobile number.
- The caller wants you to install a support or screen sharing app.
- You are asked to read out a code from your screen.
- A Rs 10 recharge is requested to confirm the number.
- The sender name does not match your operator's usual header.
What to do right now
- Do not call the number or tap the link.
- Check your KYC status in your operator's official app or at its store.
- Remove any support app you installed and turn off screen sharing.
- Check your bank app for recent transactions you did not make.
- Report the text on Sanchar Saathi.
If you already paid or shared a code
- Call 1930 immediately if money has moved.
- Ask your bank through the number on your card to block UPI and cards.
- Uninstall the support app, restart the phone and change banking passwords from a clean device.
- File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the screenshot of the text.
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's scam check explains why a deactivation text looks risky, pointing to urgency, a personal number and an app request. Its phone scan reviews installed apps and permissions, including apps from outside a store and risky settings, so a remote-support app can be spotted. It cannot confirm your KYC status with the operator and cannot undo what a caller did on your phone, so check with the operator directly.
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
Will my number really be deactivated if I ignore the text?
Operators have their own processes and tell customers through their official apps and channels. A text pushing you to call a personal number is not reliable. Check your status in the operator's official app or at its store.
Why do they ask for a Rs 10 recharge?
A tiny payment makes the process feel real and can route you to a payment page or a UPI request that captures details. You should never recharge because a caller or text asked. Use the official app only.
How can I tell if a support app was installed?
Check your app list for anything you do not recognise and look at which apps have screen or accessibility access in settings. If unsure, uninstall it and restart the phone. Then change banking passwords from a clean device.