Banks Will Call Their Customers Only From These 2 Numbers As RBI Steps In to Curb Spam and Fraud

The RBI has introduced two dedicated phone number series for banks and other financial institutions to use for making transaction and marketing calls to their customers. This initiative aims to protect mobile users from fraudulent calls and improve trust in legitimate communications.

Numbers starting with 1600 will be used for transaction-related calls from banking services, while numbers beginning with 140 will be used for promotional calls and SMS.

Fraud and spam calls have become common these days causing a lot of distractions and chances of fraud. Mobile users are often frustrated by the constant barrage of spam calls. Cases of scams and financial fraud through these calls have also become increasingly frequent. Many users fall victim to such scams, mistaking the calls for genuine communications from their banks. To curb all this, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken this important step.

According to the latest RBI notice, banks are now required to use phone numbers starting with 1600 for all transaction-related calls. Hence, any genuine call regarding a transaction or financial matter should begin with the number 1600. This measure will help users identify authentic calls and steer clear of potential scams.

Likewise, numbers beginning with 140 will be used for promotional calls and SMS notifications offering services like personal loans, credit cards, or insurance.

This initiative will enable users in distinguishing genuine bank offers from fraudulent claims made by scammers pretending to represent banks.

Considering the rise in incidents of online and phone fraud, where scammers often deceive people by posing as bank representatives to steal large sums of money, this step by the RBI is expected to reduce chances of fraud and also prevent unsolicited calls.