SBI urges people to beware of phishing links offering freebies

India’s largest lender State Bank of India on Friday warned customers not to get lured by mails offering free gifts, as they may fall prey to phishing scam. In a tweet, the SBI urged customers not to click on these links as it could lead to a loss of personal and confidential information.

The tweet said that, “Are you receiving these links in your inbox? Steer Clear! Clicking on these phishing links could lead to a loss of your personal and confidential information. Stay Alert. Think before you click!”

In June this year, the bank had posted a similar tweet alerting its customers against clicking on links claiming that it is providing free gifts. It had also warned its customers, that clicking on such phishing links could to a loss of your personal and confidential information. Also, it had advised customers to report such attempts to the respective law enforcement agencies, at the time.

How Phishing works

A phishing attack happens when an email tailored to look like a message from a major bank is sent to millions of people. The person who sent it would ensure that some of them would be customers of that bank. Then, the victims would click the link on the message, and is redirected to a malicious site designed to resemble the bank’s webpage. There, the user types the username and password and the hacker can access the victim’s account.