Mumbai: HDFC Bank as a part of digital banking awareness drive, conducted a series of secure banking workshops pan India. The Bank organized over 16,600 workshops sensitizing over 2,00,224 citizens on safe digital banking practices.

These workshops were aimed at educating school and college students, law enforcement agencies, senior citizens, self-help groups, customers and employees. Through these interactive sessions, participants gained valuable insights on safe digital banking practices so that they don’t fall prey to cyber frauds.

The workshops included real life examples, stories and videos which helped participants understand various Modus Operandi used by fraudsters and tips on how to stay safe from such frauds. HDFC Bank has been conducting Cyber Fraud Awareness Workshops under the Secure Banking initiative at various locations across the country over the past four years.

The workshop covered an array of pertinent topics, offering a better understanding of digital security:

1.    IFAW’s Background: Attendees were introduced to the mission/role of International Fraud Awareness Week in advocating digital awareness.

2.    Cyber Fraud Awareness: Detailed discussions were held explaining common cyber threats like Vishing, Phishing, Smishing, remote device access, SIM swap, and UPI frauds. Real-life examples were used to deepen understanding.

3.    Secure Net-banking and Shopping Tips: The sessions highlighted best practices for secure online transactions, spotlighting the significance of Vigil Aunty and offering invaluable tips for safe online shopping.

4.    Preventive Measures: Attendees were guided not to divulge sensitive information such as OTPs, CVVs, Debit/Credit card credentials and UPI PINs.

Commenting on this Mr. Manish Agrawal, Executive Vice President – Credit Intelligence and Control – HDFC Bank said, “Cybercrime is a serious threat to individuals and organisations alike. Lack of awareness causes people to fall for such cyber frauds. Therefore, it is essential to create awareness among the citizens so that they do not share confidential banking data or click on unverified links. The objective of these workshops is to educate participants on various modus operandi used by fraudsters and the secure banking practices that they need to follow so that they do not become victims of such online frauds. These awareness workshops are in line with HDFC Bank’s philosophy and core value i.e. Customer Focus.”

The Bank encourages customers to be cautious and adopt safe banking habits while transacting digitally and avoid sharing their confidential banking information with anyone. In case customers fall prey to online fraud, they should immediately report unauthorized transactions to the bank and get the payment mode blocked for safeguarding against future losses. Customers should also file a complaint by calling 1930 helpline number started by ministry of home affairs (MHA) and submit the complaint on National Cybercrime Reporting Portal https://cybercrime.gov.in.

Customers need to remember the following points to protect themselves from cyber fraudsters:                

1.    Do not click on unknown links in SMS/Email/Messages as they may be a phishing link to steal your data and money.

2.    Do not download screen sharing Apps from unknown sources as this can be used to steal data from devices and install malware

3.    Do not share personal bank details like OTP, CVV, PIN, Password and Card Details with anyone. Bank or its representatives do not ask for such personal details.

4.    Do not fall prey to schemes/jobs/discounts/help offers which require a payment to be made or requires you to share your personal banking credentials.

5.    Do not fall for unknown calls, SMS, Email, Social Media accounts and advertisements offering rewards, investment Opportunities, Part-time jobs, commissions or easy money for task completion and remote work.