Pre-approved Loan SMS Link Scam by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

An email gives the scammer room to look official: a signature, a fake invoice, an attachment and a button that goes to a lookalike login page. Pre-approved Loan SMS Link Scam is one of the ways this shows up: An SMS says you have a pre-approved bank loan and asks you to tap a link and log in. The page steals your banking details and OTP.

What pre-approved loan sms link scam looks like by email

• A generic greeting instead of your name.
• A login page that opens from the email and asks for your password and OTP.
• A sender address that is almost, but not exactly, the real domain.

The scammer sends a short message with a sender name close to a bank's header, a loan amount and a time limit such as 'valid till tonight'. They know that many people have some need for funds, so even a small percentage of readers will respond. The link is often shortened so that you cannot see where it truly goes.

Red flags to check on the email

• A pre-approved loan arrives by a link and expires tonight.
• The page asks for your login and OTP together.
• The loan is said to need no documents.
• The link is shortened or has an odd domain.
• It carries a surprise invoice, refund or legal notice.
• The sender address has an extra word or letter.

What to do

1. Do not tap the link or log in from it.
2. Open your bank's official app and see if any offer is listed.
3. Never share an OTP to accept an offer.
4. Do not open the attachment and do not press the button.
5. Go to the company website by typing it yourself and check your account there.
6. Check the full sender address, not just the display name.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call your bank on the number on your card or passbook and block net banking and cards.
2. Call 1930 and give the time, amount and transaction IDs.
3. Check for loans or payees added to your account and ask the bank to remove them.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and page screenshots.

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

Safeavio's link check can review the offer link before you open it for lookalike domains, shortened links and risky patterns, and the scam check shows why the message looks like pressure with fake authority. It cannot tell whether your bank really has an offer for you, so look in the bank's official app or ask at the branch. Ask the branch.

Full guide: Pre-approved Loan SMS Link Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp, phone call.

Questions