RBI warns public against fake links on unclaimed deposits

The RBI and Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have issued alerts warning citizens about fake messages claiming to help recover unclaimed deposits. Officials stressed that only the UDGAM portal should be used and urged the public not to click suspicious links or share personal details.

Hyderabad: Amid a surge in cyber fraud attempts targeting bank customers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a public alert urging citizens to rely only on its official portal for tracing and claiming unclaimed deposits.

On the other hand, the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have amplified the warning, cautioning that fraudsters are circulating deceptive messages posing as RBI or bank officials to steal personal and financial information.

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According to the police advisory, customers can check and claim deposits lying inactive for more than ten years exclusively through RBI’s official UDGAM portal (udgam.rbi.org.in). Authorities stressed that the central bank never sends unsolicited links seeking account details, passwords or OTPs.

Cybercrime officers said a rising number of residents have recently received fraudulent links promising unclaimed money retrieval, leading to cases where victims unknowingly shared sensitive information with scammers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crimes) V Aravind Babu urged the public to remain vigilant.

“Never click on suspicious links or respond to messages claiming to be from RBI. If anything appears doubtful, verify directly with your bank branch,” he said.

Public Advisory:

• Do not share personal or banking details with unverified sources.
• Avoid responding to social media accounts or individuals claiming to help recover funds.
• Depend only on the official RBI website (rbi.org.in) for accurate information.

Victims of cyber fraud should report incidents immediately via the 1930 helpline or the national cybercrime portal cybercrime.gov.in.