Banking in India is becoming more consumer-friendly by the day, as it has seen tremendous progress in terms of technology and new areas of payments have opened whereby customers can transfer and receive the money within seconds. However, with increasing progress, a simultaneous rise in bank fraud has also been seen over the years despite the authorities’ efforts to provide maximum security to the customer.

ICICI BANK WARNS OF NEW FRAUD

Hackers come up every day with a new idea to perform bank scams, and in a bid to warn its customers against that, ICICI Bank has sent an email to them to ensure their safety. “We have always ensured your financial safety and that of your loved ones. In the same vein, we want to alert you of a new kind of fraud that is slowly becoming prevalent," ICICI Bank said in an email a few days back.

As per the ICICI Bank, fraudsters are now hacking the customer’s WhatsApp or Facebook account and sending messages to his or her contacts, asking for money. “In these desperate times, we have seen many genuine requests for funds, so a request from a known contact does not feel out of the ordinary. As the request has come from a known source, the contact then transfers the requested funds, without calling and confirming with the said person, about their need for funds,’ it said in the email.

The ICICI Bank further asked customers to be careful in these scenarios. “Be careful and always confirm in such cases. If at all your WhatsApp or Facebook accounts get hacked, do bring it to the notice of the authorities," it said.
 
 

DEBIT CARD SAFETY

In another email, the ICICI Bank issued a bunch of safety guidelines to avoid ATM card or debit card fraud. Check them out:

- Think of an ATM/Debit Card as the key to your bank account.

- Do not hand over your card to anyone else for use. Never write the PIN anywhere.

- Never share your financial information when requested over the phone or through an e-mail.

- Do not seek help from strangers in ATM/ Branch instead approach any bank official.

- While withdrawing cash from an ATM, make sure nobody is standing behind you. Always cover the keypad with your fingers.

- ICICI Bank will never email you or call you to ask for your PIN, passwords or other confidential account information.

- Do not follow links from an unfamiliar e-mail. These links can navigate you to fake websites.

- You must register for SMS and e-mail notification services offered by the bank so that you can keep track of your banking activities.

- In case of any unauthorized transaction, you must report it to your bank immediately.

- Never store your card details on your smartphone or laptop, said the ICICI Bank in its guidelines.