You are probably a victim of online fraud if you have used this app

Cautioning the consumers against online frauds, the Reserve Bank of India has issued a latest warning against a mobile application that claims to be the apex bank’s app.

“It has come to the notice of the Reserve Bank of India that an app (application) is doing rounds on WhatsApp purportedly to facilitate checking of balance in customers' bank accounts. The application has an RBI logo with the title 'All Bank Balance Enquiry No' and has listed several banks with either a mobile number or call centre number,” RBI issued a statement on its website.

It added, “The Reserve Bank wishes to clarify that it has not developed any such application. Members of public are, therefore, advised to use the application, if at all, at their own risk.”

It is not the first time that fraudulent communications in the name of RBI have been made. “The Reserve Bank issues regular warnings to the public that the fraudsters send attractive offers to gullible public through letters, e-mails, mobile phones, SMSs and other such means. To lend credence to such offers, the communication is often sent on or from letterheads or websites that appear to be like that of some public authorities like the Reserve Bank of India,” said a senior official at RBI requesting anonymity.

He further added that the offers are supposedly signed by senior officials of the bank. “The names of the officials is in the public domain so they are used in such mails but their signatures are fake. The offer document would contain contact details of a so-called RBI officer working in some department in the Reserve Bank or public authorities”.

The apex bank has received several such complaints of wherein people have deposited some funds under a scheme, which is run in the name of RBI.