Wallet KYC Expiry Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

Callers pretend to be bank staff, police, a courier, a telecom officer or a relative, and they try to keep you on the line while you act. Wallet KYC Expiry Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message says your mobile wallet will be blocked unless you complete KYC today, and the link or caller asks for an OTP or remote access.

What wallet kyc expiry 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 sends a text or WhatsApp message that looks like it comes from a wallet company. It mentions a wallet balance at risk and a date by which the account will be frozen. A link leads to a page that looks like the real app's KYC form, asking for your phone number, ID details and, finally, an OTP sent to your phone.

Red flags to check on the phone call

A KYC deadline arrives by SMS or WhatsApp with a link.
You are asked to read out an OTP to 'verify' the KYC.
The caller asks you to install a remote-help app.
The page asks for your card details, PIN or net banking login.
You are asked to move money to a "safe account".
You are told to keep the call secret.

What to do

Do not tap the link or share any OTP.
Open the wallet's official app yourself and check whether it shows any KYC notice.
Use the support option inside the app or the number printed on the company's own website typed by hand.
Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.
Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.
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

Call 1930 immediately and give the amount, time and number that contacted you.
Contact the wallet company through its official app and ask to freeze the wallet.
Tell your bank through the number on your card if a linked account or card was used.
Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and call details.

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

Safeavio's scam check can review a KYC message you paste and show the reasons it looks risky, such as a deadline, an OTP ask and fake authority, and the link check looks at lookalike addresses before you open them. Safeavio's phone scan can also point out apps installed from outside a store. It cannot tell whether your wallet really needs KYC.

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 Android What the app does

Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.

Full guide: Wallet KYC Expiry Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp, fake app.

Questions

How do I know if a phone call about wallet kyc expiry scam is a scam?

Check the red flags above: the caller asks for an otp, upi pin, card pin or cvv. you are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes. When in doubt, do not act on the phone call; open the official app or website yourself or call the number printed on your card or bill.

What should I do first if I receive this phone call?

Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.