Wallet KYC Expiry Scam by SMS

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

SMS scams lean on short, urgent lines and a shortened link. The message looks official because the sender name (header) is shaped to resemble a real organisation. 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 by SMS

• Several near-identical messages arriving together from different senders.
• A sender name that resembles a bank, courier, tax or utility, or an ordinary mobile number.
• A very short message with a deadline such as "today" or "within 24 hours".

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 text message

• 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.
• The link domain is not the one you type yourself for that organisation.
• The message asks for an OTP, PIN, card number or password.

What to do

1. Do not tap the link or share any OTP.
2. Open the wallet's official app yourself and check whether it shows any KYC notice.
3. Use the support option inside the app or the number printed on the company's own website typed by hand.
4. Delete the message and tell family members who may get the same text.
5. Do not reply, do not tap the link and do not call the number in the message.
6. Open the official app or type the official website yourself to see if there is any real notice.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 immediately and give the amount, time and number that contacted you.
2. Contact the wallet company through its official app and ask to freeze the wallet.
3. Tell your bank through the number on your card if a linked account or card was used.
4. 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.

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

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