Scam explainer
KYC update, SIM swap and eSIM fraud also called KYC expiry scam, SIM swap fraud, eSIM hijack, SIM block message scam
Messages warn your bank account or SIM will be blocked unless you update KYC, or a fake telecom agent gets your number moved to an eSIM, letting fraudsters receive your OTPs.
AI-generated illustration by CyberShitty. Not a photograph or a document from the organisations named.
How it works
- An SMS, WhatsApp message or call says your bank KYC has expired or your SIM will be blocked today.
- You are sent a link or asked to share details or an OTP to 'update' KYC, or a caller posing as telecom support sends an 'eSIM activation' link or request.
- In the eSIM version, your physical SIM suddenly loses signal because your number now works on the fraudster's device.
- OTPs and bank alerts go to the fraudster, who drains accounts, breaks deposits or takes loans in your name.
Composite example, not a real case
A free 'eSIM upgrade' that moved his number
- Suresh, 52, a shop owner in Jaipur, gets a call from someone claiming to be his telecom operator's support team. His SIM will be blocked today, the caller says, unless he upgrades to an eSIM.
- The caller sends a message with a link and asks Suresh to read out a code that has just arrived on his phone, 'to confirm his identity'.
- That evening his phone shows 'No service'. He assumes it is a network problem and waits until morning.
- Overnight, OTPs for his bank go to the fraudster's phone. A fixed deposit is broken and the money is moved out through several transfers.
- Next morning he uses his son's phone to call his operator and bank, blocks the SIM and net banking, calls 1930 and files on cybercrime.gov.in.
Who gets targeted
Anyone whose mobile number is linked to bank accounts, UPI or email, because that number receives the OTPs. Messages are sent widely, often posing as a bank or telecom operator.
Red flags
- KYC or SIM-block warnings that arrive with a link or a phone number to call.
- Any eSIM, SIM upgrade or porting request you did not start yourself.
- Your phone suddenly shows no network for no clear reason.
- Requests to share an OTP or forward an SMS to 'confirm' your identity.
What to do
- Update KYC only in your bank's branch, official app or website, and request an eSIM only through your telecom operator's official channels.
- If your signal drops unexpectedly, contact your telecom operator and your bank at once.
- If money is lost, call 1930 and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.
- Check the mobile connections registered in your name on Sanchar Saathi and report ones you do not recognise.
- Report KYC and SIM-block messages through Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi.
How to protect yourself
- Never share an OTP, a code that arrives by SMS, your phone's EID, or an eSIM QR code with anyone who contacts you.
- Request an eSIM or SIM upgrade only yourself, through your operator's official app or its own store. Your operator will not call out of the blue to move your number.
- Update bank KYC only at your branch, in the bank's official app or on its website. Ignore KYC links sent by SMS or WhatsApp.
- Keep bank SMS alerts on and register an email address too, so alerts still reach you if your number is taken.
- If a 'bank' or 'telecom' caller sounds urgent, hang up and call the number on your card or the operator's official site.
- Check the mobile connections in your name on Sanchar Saathi now and then, not only after a problem.
Official tools, explained
- How to check how many SIM cards are issued in your name, and cut off the ones you don't know
- How to report a fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp message on Sanchar Saathi Chakshu
- How to report cyber fraud in India: calling 1930 and filing on cybercrime.gov.in
- How to complain to the RBI Ombudsman when your bank or payment app doesn't resolve a fraud complaint
Step-by-step guidePhone suddenly shows no service? What to do about SIM-swap and eSIM fraud in India
The numbers
I4C issued an advisory on eSIM fraud in 2025 (The Daily Jagran), and 2026 cases include a Mumbai woman who lost ₹11 lakh after an eSIM switch (India TV). There is no official national loss figure for SIM-swap or eSIM fraud.
- Chakshu reports of KYC and payment-related fraud communications (bank, electricity, gas, insurance) rose from 21,281 in 2024 to 1,06,483 in 2025, the largest named category, DoT told the Rajya Sabha. — PIB (DoT) — Chakshu facility of Sanchar Saathi: suspected fraud communications reported, Rajya Sabha reply (5 Feb 2026)
Questions people ask
Will my telecom operator call me to upgrade my SIM to an eSIM?
An I4C warning reported in February 2026 said operators do not call users unsolicited for SIM upgrades. Start any eSIM change yourself, through the operator's official app or store.
My phone suddenly shows no service. What should I do?
Assume your number may have been moved. From another phone, call your operator to block and reissue the SIM, and your bank to block net banking, cards and UPI. If money has moved, call 1930.
Is it normal for SMS to stop after switching to an eSIM?
After a genuine switch you asked for, some operators bar SMS, including OTPs, for 24 hours; Airtel says so on its eSIM page. If you did not ask for a switch and your SMS stops, treat it as an alarm.
Can my bank KYC expire and block my account today?
Messages that threaten a same-day block and come with a link or a number to call are a known scam pattern. Check only through your bank's branch, official app or website.
How do I check if someone has taken a SIM in my name?
Log in to 'Know mobile connections in your name' on Sanchar Saathi with your own number and OTP. Mark any number you do not recognise as not yours; if it is not re-verified, it is disconnected within 60 days.
Desk coverage
- Life certificate season: the fake 'pension office' call that asks for your PPO number and OTP
- Fake village health camps took Aadhaar data and biometrics to get 3,000 SIMs, police say
- Supreme Court: RBI's new rules must make banks compensate digital arrest victims when they fail
- SBI discloses 'data loss': 3,897 customer records with personal details found on the dark web
Sources
- The Daily Jagran — eSIM fraud rising in India, I4C issues warning: here's how to stay safe (1 Sep 2025)
- India TV — Mumbai woman loses Rs 11 lakh in minutes: how e-SIM fraud can empty your bank account (12 Feb 2026)
- PIB (DoT) — Chakshu facility of Sanchar Saathi: suspected fraud communications reported, Rajya Sabha reply (5 Feb 2026)
- DoT Sanchar Saathi — Chakshu: report suspected fraud communication
- Airtel — eSIM: how to get or upgrade to an Airtel eSIM
- DoT Sanchar Saathi — citizen services (Chakshu, Know Mobile Connections in Your Name)
- DoT Sanchar Saathi — Know Mobile Connections in Your Name (TAFCOP)
- PIB (MHA) — Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Lok Sabha reply (17 Mar 2026)
- RBI — Customer Protection: Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions (6 Jul 2017)
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal