How to Differentiate Between Genuine Bank SMS and Fraudulent Messages (TRAI Guidelines – India)
Banking fraud through SMS is one of the most common cyber threats in India. Fraudsters often send fake messages pretending to be from your bank, asking for OTPs, PINs, or urging you to click on malicious links. To protect consumers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued new guidelines that make it easier to identify whether a message is genuine or fraudulent. Here’s a detailed guide on how to differentiate between the two. --- 1. Check the Header Suffix Under TRAI’s new rules (effective May 2025), every SMS must carry a suffix that indicates its type: -T → Transactional (bank alerts, OTPs, important updates) -S → Service (customer updates, notifications) -P → Promotional (advertisements, offers) -G → Government-authorized messages 👉 A genuine banking SMS will always end with “-T”. If you receive a banking message with -P or -S, treat it with suspicion. --- 2. Verify the Sender Header TRAI has provided tools to verify the authenticity of a sender’s header. Send an...