Amid the rising instances of cyber frauds, State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest lender, has recently issued a public advisory regarding the authenticity of calls originating from numbers beginning with +91-1600, aiming to strengthen consumer safety in the digital banking ecosystem. The bank has made clear that consumers can safely interact with these numbers without worrying about fraud; these numbers are used only for transactional and service-related calls.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in January directed all banks and regulated entities (REs) to call customers only using phone numbers that begin with the "1600xx" series for transactions or service provision. The RBI has mandated the use of the "140xx" number series only for marketing or promotional calls. This measure aims to help consumers distinguish between legitimate calls and potential scam attempts made via SMS or voice calls.
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SBI stated in a social media post on X, "If you receive a call from a number starting with +91-1600, rest assured-it's a genuine and legitimate call. These numbers are used for transactional and service-related calls to customers, helping you distinguish legitimate calls from spam and fraudulent ones. Do not engage with unsolicited calls and protect yourself from cyber frauds."
1600-01-8000
1600-01-8003
1600-01-8006
1600-11-7012
1600-11-7015
1600-01-8001
1600-01-8004
1600-01-8007
1600-11-7013
1600-00-1351
1600-01-8002
1600-01-8005
1600-11-7011
1600-01-7014
1600-10-0021
SBI advises customers to refrain from engaging with unsolicited or suspicious calls and exercise caution with unknown numbers that do not follow the above pattern.
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This action by SBI is in line with rising instances of digital fraud. A warning from the RBI, dated January 17, 2025, stated that the rise in digital payments has unfortunately been accompanied by an increase in frauds.
"The proliferation of digital transactions, while offering convenience and efficiency, has also led to a surge in frauds, a pressing concern underscoring the need for concerted action. The mobile number of a customer has emerged as a ubiquitous identifier, instrumental in the account authentication and verification process, receiving sensitive payment communication, such as OTPs, transaction alerts, account updates, etc.," the RBI in the notification said.
The RBI further said, "Undertake transactional/service calls only using '1600xx' numbering series when operationalised; undertake promotional voice calls only through phone numbers using '140xx' numbering series."
"The mobile number, however, can also be misused by scamsters in multiple ways for committing various types of online and other frauds," the RBI warned further in the notification."
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in January directed all banks and regulated entities (REs) to call customers only using phone numbers that begin with the "1600xx" series for transactions or service provision. The RBI has mandated the use of the "140xx" number series only for marketing or promotional calls. This measure aims to help consumers distinguish between legitimate calls and potential scam attempts made via SMS or voice calls.
Also read: FD interest rate up to 9.10%: These banks are still offering over 8% interest on fixed deposits for senior citizens
SBI stated in a social media post on X, "If you receive a call from a number starting with +91-1600, rest assured-it's a genuine and legitimate call. These numbers are used for transactional and service-related calls to customers, helping you distinguish legitimate calls from spam and fraudulent ones. Do not engage with unsolicited calls and protect yourself from cyber frauds."
Official numbers used by SBI for customer calls
SBI has released a list of official numbers that the bank uses to contact customers for genuine banking-related communications. These include:1600-01-8000
1600-01-8003
1600-01-8006
1600-11-7012
1600-11-7015
1600-01-8001
1600-01-8004
1600-01-8007
1600-11-7013
1600-00-1351
1600-01-8002
1600-01-8005
1600-11-7011
1600-01-7014
1600-10-0021
SBI advises customers to refrain from engaging with unsolicited or suspicious calls and exercise caution with unknown numbers that do not follow the above pattern.
Also read: What should FD investors do now? RBI cuts repo rate by 50 bps, interest rates will fall further
This action by SBI is in line with rising instances of digital fraud. A warning from the RBI, dated January 17, 2025, stated that the rise in digital payments has unfortunately been accompanied by an increase in frauds.
"The proliferation of digital transactions, while offering convenience and efficiency, has also led to a surge in frauds, a pressing concern underscoring the need for concerted action. The mobile number of a customer has emerged as a ubiquitous identifier, instrumental in the account authentication and verification process, receiving sensitive payment communication, such as OTPs, transaction alerts, account updates, etc.," the RBI in the notification said.
The RBI further said, "Undertake transactional/service calls only using '1600xx' numbering series when operationalised; undertake promotional voice calls only through phone numbers using '140xx' numbering series."
"The mobile number, however, can also be misused by scamsters in multiple ways for committing various types of online and other frauds," the RBI warned further in the notification."
