Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned citizens against rising incidents of digital fraud and “digital arrest” scams, urging people to remain vigilant
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NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned citizens against rising incidents of digital fraud and “digital arrest” scams, urging people to remain vigilant and follow proper banking procedures to safeguard their savings.
Speaking during his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister said he had earlier discussed the issue of digital arrest at length and noted that while awareness had increased, troubling incidents were still being reported.
“In ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I have spoken to you at length about Digital Arrest. After this, a lot of awareness was generated in our society regarding Digital Arrest and Digital Fraud, but still, such incidents are happening around us that are unpardonable,” PM Modi said.
Highlighting the impact of such crimes, he said innocent people continue to fall victim to online fraud.
“Innocent people are being targeted through Digital Arrest and Financial Fraud. Many a time, we come to know that a senior citizen has been swindled of their lifelong earnings. At times, someone is defrauded of the money one had saved to pay children's fees," he said.
"We also come across news of fraud with businessmen. Someone calls up and says, ‘I am a big officer. You have to share some details’. After this, innocent people do just that. Therefore, it is very important for you to remain alert and vigilant,” he added.
Referring to the KYC (Know Your Customer) process, the Prime Minister addressed common concerns among bank customers.
“You all must be familiar with the process of KYC (Know Your Customer). Sometimes, when you receive messages from your bank asking you to update KYC or re-KYC, the question arises in your mind -- I have already done KYC, then why this? I urge you not to fret; this is just for the safety of your money,” he said.
Emphasising the growing integration of financial services with bank accounts, PM Modi said, “We all know that nowadays everything from pension, subsidy, insurance, UPI, everything is linked to the bank account. This is why banks periodically perform re-KYC to ensure your bank account remains secure. Yes, here too, you must remember one thing: criminals make fake calls, send SMS and links."
"Therefore, we must remain vigilant and not fall prey to such fraudsters. KYC or re-KYC should be done only through your bank branch, official app, and authorised medium,” he added.
The Prime Minister further advised citizens not to share sensitive information such as OTPs, Aadhaar numbers or bank account details with anyone.
He also recommended updating passwords regularly. Drawing a simple analogy, he said that just as food and clothing change with each season, people should make it a habit to change their passwords periodically.
PM Modi also mentioned that the Reserve Bank of India recently observed a Financial Literacy Week focusing on such issues.
“This financial literacy campaign will now continue throughout the year. Therefore, pay heed to the Reserve Bank of India's message and keep your KYC updated. Remember: Correct KYC, timely re-KYC keeps your account safe. Become an empowered citizen, because only empowered citizens build a strong and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.