I received a call from someone claiming to be my bank asking to verify my card details, is this legal or a scam?

Question

A caller claiming to be from my bank's fraud department or customer care asked me to confirm my card number, CVV or OTP. I have been reading conflicting things online and I would like to understand what Indian law actually says about this, which Act and Section applies, what the realistic timelines and costs are, and what I should be doing right now to protect my position. If the matter can be resolved without litigation I would prefer that route, but I want to know what my rights are before I agree to anything or sign any document.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

I received a call from someone claiming to be my bank asking to verify my card details, is this legal or a scam? is governed in India primarily by Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 – Section 318 and RBI Master Direction on Digital Payment Security Controls, 2021. The short answer is set out below, followed by the practical steps most people in this situation need to take. Read it alongside the specific provisions named, because the exact relief available to you turns on the facts you can prove on paper.

No genuine bank representative will ever ask for your full card number, CVV, PIN or OTP over a phone call — banks already have your card details on file and never need you to 'confirm' or 'verify' them this way; this is classic vishing (voice phishing).

Under the RBI Master Direction on Digital Payment Security Controls, 2021, banks are required to educate customers that OTPs/CVVs should never be shared, and any employee/agent asking for these is either impersonating the bank or acting outside authorised protocol.

This conduct by the caller is cheating by personation under Section 66D IT Act and cheating under Section 318 BNS, and if you lose money as a result, the RBI's zero-liability circular applies provided you report within 3 working days.

Vishing calls often spoof the bank's actual customer care number on caller ID (called 'number spoofing'), so do not rely on the displayed number as proof of authenticity — always hang up and call the number printed on your card/passbook independently.

Report the phone number to your telecom operator and to cybercrime.gov.in so it can be blocked/investigated, since these numbers are frequently reused across multiple victims in a short period.

What to do next: 1) Hang up immediately and never share CVV/OTP/PIN over a call; 2) Verify by calling your bank's official number printed on your card; 3) Report any resulting fraud to your bank within 3 working days and file at cybercrime.gov.in; 4) Report the scam number to your telecom operator/Chakshu facility.

If the other side has already issued a notice, filed a case or set a deadline, treat the matter as time-sensitive — most remedies under Information Technology Act, 2000 – Section 66D carry limitation periods, and a delay you cannot explain weakens an otherwise strong case. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in this practice area.