Dekhbhaal › Common scams › Fake bank calls

A "bank" calls and asks for the OTP: is it a scam?

Yes, always. No bank, card company, wallet or government office ever asks for an OTP on a call. An OTP is not a way to stop or cancel anything: it approves something. Reading it out is saying yes to whatever the caller started. Hang up and call the number on the back of the card.

Last updated 21 October 2026, by the Dekhbhaal team.

What the caller says

"A suspicious transaction of ₹49,999 is pending on your card. Tell me the OTP to cancel it."
"Your reward points expire today. I've sent an OTP to redeem them."
"Your card is being upgraded. Confirm with the OTP."
"Your account is being blocked for KYC. Read me the code we just sent."

The caller often knows your parent's name, bank and the last four digits of the card, which makes the call feel real. Meanwhile they are making a payment or adding a new device on the other side, and the OTP is the last thing they need.

How to tell it's a fraud

They ask for an OTP, PIN, CVV or password. That alone is enough.
The OTP SMS itself says "do not share this with anyone", and often names the payment it is approving.
They push you to stay on the line or to install an app.

What to do right now

Hang up. Don't read out any code, however urgent it sounds.
Call the bank on the number on the back of the card or in its official app, and ask if anything is wrong.
If the OTP was already shared, ask the bank to block the card and net banking at once.

If money has already gone

Call 1930 now. It is India's national cyber-fraud helpline. The first hour matters most: the sooner 1930 hears, the better the chance the money can be held before it moves on.
Call the bank on the number printed on the back of the card or in the bank's own app, and ask them to block the card or account.
File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in, with the number that called, the time, and any screenshots.
Report the number on Chakshu, at sancharsaathi.gov.in, so it can be checked and cut off.

And tell your parent it is not their fault. These callers do this all day, and they are good at it. A parent who feels foolish is less likely to tell you next time.

How Dekhbhaal helps

Dekhbhaal is an AI caretaker on your parent's phone, for sons and daughters who live far away. Dekhbhaal will never ask your parent for an OTP, money or bank details, and tells them so on their first day, in their language: anyone who asks is a scammer, even if they say they are Dekhbhaal. When a "bank" calls, your parent hangs up, holds Boliye and says what was asked. It says this is a fraud, and you're told at once. How the scam guard works.

Questions

Does a bank ever ask for an OTP on a call?

No. No bank, card company, wallet or government office ever asks for an OTP on a call. An OTP approves a payment or a login; reading it out says yes to whatever the caller started.

The caller knew the card's last four digits. Was it really the bank?

No. Scammers often know a name, a bank and part of a card number from leaked data. Knowing details doesn't make the call real; asking for an OTP makes it fake.

The OTP was shared. What now?

Call the bank on the number on the back of the card and block the card and net banking. If money has gone, call 1930 at once and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.

Other scams to know

Dekhbhaal will never ask for an OTP, money or bank details. Anyone who does is a scammer, even if they say they are Dekhbhaal. In an emergency, call 112.