Net Banking Phishing Site Scam on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

WhatsApp scams arrive from numbers you do not know, from a friend whose account was taken over, or from a group you were added to without asking. Net Banking Phishing Site Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A link in an SMS or email opens a copy of your bank's login page that steals your user ID, password and OTP, then empties your account.

What net banking phishing site scam looks like on WhatsApp

• A link that pretends to be a wa.me, courier or bank page.
• A message from an unknown number, often with a stock photo of a smiling person.
• A friend or relative asking for urgent money from a new number or a hacked account.

The scammer builds a page using your bank's logo, colours and wording and registers a web address that looks similar, with a swapped letter, an extra word or a different ending. They send it through SMS, email or ads that say there is a reward, a blocked account or a pending tax refund. Links are often shortened, so you cannot see where they lead.

Red flags to check on the WhatsApp message

• A link in a message asks you to log in to your bank.
• The web address has extra words, letters or an unusual ending.
• The page asks for card PIN, CVV and an OTP together.
• The message threatens suspension within hours.
• Someone asks for the six-digit code WhatsApp sent you by SMS.
• A new number says it is someone you know and asks for money; call the real person on the old number first.

What to do

1. Close the page without typing anything.
2. Type your bank's address by hand or use the official app to log in.
3. Do not log in from a link in a message.
4. Do not click links or open files. Do not send money or codes.
5. Open the chat, tap the contact name and choose Block and report.
6. If it was a "friend", call them on the number you already have and ask.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 right away and give the amount, time and transaction details.
2. Call your bank on the number on your card or passbook and block net banking and cards.
3. Change your net banking password and UPI PIN from a safe device.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the link and screenshots.

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

Safeavio's link check lets you paste or share a link before opening it and looks for lookalike domains, shortened links and risky patterns, and the scam check shows why the message looks like pressure and fake authority. It cannot tell if a page is truly your bank's, so open your bank's official app or type the address yourself. Type the address yourself.

Full guide: Net Banking Phishing Site Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, email, social media.

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