If you’ve ever declined a sudden phone call offering to “instantly increase your credit card limit”, you may have unknowingly dodged a major fraud attempt. Banks have been quietly flagging a rise in cases where customers are lured into sharing confidential details—especially OTPs—under the impression that a genuine bank representative is helping them upgrade their card.
Several recent cases suggest a similar pattern. Someone rings a cardholder with a tempting offer: a higher credit limit, quicker approvals or a “special upgrade”. The moment the customer agrees, the caller nudges them for card details, CVV, expiry date and finally the OTP sent to their phone. Many only realise later that the caller was not from the bank at all—and the damage is already done.
Banks and payment industry officials have been hinting that such fraud attempts tend to spike during festive seasons or periods of heavy spending, though the reasons may vary.
One change could help people identify genuine calls better. TRAI has already indicated that all official bank calls may use the 1600 prefix from next year. This shift is expected to make it easier for users to distinguish real service calls from random mobile numbers that scammers typically use.
For now, checking the number and cross-verifying through the bank’s official customer care remains one of the simplest ways to avoid falling for such traps.
Fraud callers often sound unusually urgent, overconfident or too eager to offer help. Some even claim to be calling from the bank’s “head office” or from a senior official’s desk. Industry experts point out that genuine bank managers rarely, if ever, call customers personally for limit enhancements. Such unusual behaviour should serve as a warning.
Banks repeatedly highlight one golden rule: no employee will ever ask for your CVV or OTP. These are non-negotiable details that should never be shared under any circumstance—not even if the caller appears legitimate or insists it is required “just for verification."
Fraudsters often imitate official SMS formats, but the sender ID usually gives them away. While a genuine OTP message will clearly display the bank’s name, fake ones often arrive from unidentified numbers. Experts suggest that users take a moment to verify before reacting to such messages.
If a customer receives a debit alert they cannot explain, blocking the card immediately could prevent further loss. Banks typically respond quickly when notified on time, though the process may differ depending on the case.
