Fraudsters Exploit RBI’s ‘UDGAM’ Portal Name to Dupe Public
Cyber fraudsters have changed their tactics and are now misusing the ‘UDGAM’ portal of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to dupe unsuspecting citizens. The scam involves messages and emails claiming that people have large amounts of unclaimed deposits in their old bank accounts and that they can withdraw the money by clicking a link.
According to Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, cybercriminals are falsely using the RBI and its UDGAM (Unowned Deposits – Access to Information Gateway) portal to gain public trust. Victims are tricked with messages like “There are hundreds of thousands of rupees in your old accounts. Click on the link to claim it now.” Within minutes of clicking the link, mobile phones can be hacked and bank accounts emptied.
Police warned that the RBI never asks for OTPs, passwords or personal banking details and its officials do not directly contact individuals to claim unclaimed deposits.
The Commissioner advised citizens to comply with the following measures:
For unclaimed deposits, access the official website only: udgam.rbi.org.in
Do not click on suspicious links received via WhatsApp, SMS or email
Never share OTPs, passwords or bank details with anyone claiming to be an official
In case of cyber fraud, victims should immediately call the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Any delay may result in permanent financial loss.
Hyderabad Police has appealed to citizens to be vigilant and spread awareness to avoid falling prey to such online scams.
