Often, people unknowingly enter fake bank websites that look almost identical to genuine ones and end up sharing sensitive personal or financial information. These fraudulent sites are designed to deceive users, especially during urgent situations.
Be cautious while searching online
If you suddenly need to access a bank’s website for urgent work, avoid directly searching on Google without caution. In many cases, the phone numbers listed under bank names in search results belong to fraudsters. These numbers are often promoted through paid algorithms and appear before genuine information.
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If you have any official bank documents, use the helpline numbers mentioned there. You can also follow the instructions provided by the bank to access the correct website. Never enter personal information based on unverified search results.
Check the website address carefully
Before using any bank website, first check whether the web address begins with “https”. If the “s” is missing, the site is not secure. Also, verify whether the bank’s name is spelt correctly in the website address.
Check the details provided on the website, such as official addresses and contact information, and ensure they match the bank’s known details.
Match with official bank documents
In most cases, fraudsters create websites that closely resemble official bank portals. To avoid falling into such traps, compare the website address with the one mentioned in your bank documents or official communications.
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Recently, several public sector banks have issued warnings to customers about such fraudulent websites and have shared guidelines on how to identify fake portals. Staying alert and verifying information remains the best defence against online banking fraud.
