State Bank of India has put account holders on notice that an unfamiliar credit appearing in their account, followed by a caller pressing for its immediate return, may indicate an attempt to defraud them through UPI. The bank's alert about the scheme it calls the "Jumped Deposit Scam" explained that perpetrators deposit small, unsolicited sums into a target's account to build credibility, then attempt to manipulate that person into authorising a substantially larger outgoing transfer.
Fraudsters behind this scheme count on finding someone who thinks they received money by mistake and feels obligated to send it back. The person on the line says the funds were transferred in error and that they need to be returned without delay. Tactics deployed against the recipient can include time-pressured demands, appeals to emotion, or fabricated crisis scenarios.
In such a scenario, a payment authorisation could go through for a sum well above whatever funds were initially deposited into the account. The cybersecurity alert from SBI formed part of the bank's outreach under National Cyber Security Special Campaign 6.0, with the details circulated through a news channel.
An advisory from SBI notes that those carrying out account fraud may begin by transferring a modest sum into the targeted account. When someone claiming to have sent funds in error reaches out, the person holding the deposit may hand it back, at which point pressure is applied to steer the recipient toward handing over money. Urgency is often built into such requests, leaving little opportunity for the recipient to review the transaction thoroughly before acting.
Of the two figures involved, one has already been deposited into the account, while the other remains pending approval from the recipient. Someone who intends to refund only a modest sum faces the possibility of authorising a far larger transaction if the figure shown on the screen goes unverified before confirmation.
An advisory from the bank calls on customers to recognise common deception methods used against them, including psychological pressure and artificially manufactured payment deadlines. SBI has put out an alert noting that deceptive actors may rely on manufactured urgency or emotional manipulation to push account holders into bypassing standard verification steps.
Pressure from the caller to return funds without delay can leave the person on the receiving end feeling at fault for sorting out what is framed as an error. Receiving an unexpected credit transfer on its own neither confirms the identity of the person who initiated it, nor does it render a follow-up payment request trustworthy.
Relying solely on what a caller claims when authorising a payment transaction puts account holders at risk, according to the bank's advisory, which states that a verification process drawing on sources beyond the call itself forms a more reliable safeguard. Customers are urged by SBI to cut off calls from unknown or unverified numbers and flag any such encounters to their branch without delay. Customers are also advised in the notice to stay alert to approaches that rely on manufactured urgency or appeals to emotion.
Anyone spotting an unaccounted-for credit on their account is advised to pull up their bank's official app or review a recent statement to trace where it came from. When a transfer cannot be matched to a known source, account holders are advised to reach out to their bank through a customer-care channel whose details have been independently verified, then follow whatever guidance the bank provides on next steps.
Transferring funds to an unverified caller on the basis of a claimed error is something the bank's advisory cautions against. Verifying the recipient's identity and the precise transfer amount are steps the bank identifies as part of any UPI approval process. When the figure shown on the screen exceeds what the caller says was sent, the advisory states that withholding approval for the transaction is the appropriate step.
Depositing funds into an account and transferring money out of one are two distinct operations, according to the bank's guidance. Receiving an incoming payment into the account does not, on its own, oblige the holder to enter their UPI PIN. Cardholders are advised to withhold their PIN from any transaction they have not authorised.
That 1600 prefix for incoming calls has featured in guidance SBI put out to help customers distinguish genuine bank contact from fraudulent attempts. People who receive an unexpected phone call are advised by the bank to verify the caller's stated purpose before engaging further, and to withhold UPI PINs, account passwords, and similar personal banking credentials from anyone reaching out without prior notice.
The institution's guidance states that whenever an unannounced deposit arrives alongside a caller urging swift action, that combination alone does not justify moving money to any recipient whose identity has not been independently confirmed. Checking each transaction against the original, contacting the bank directly when something appears inconsistent, and declining any UPI request that arrives with undue pressure are identified in the advisory as practical protective measures.
Anyone who notices an unauthorised transaction on their account, or has already given approval to a payment that now appears fraudulent, is advised to contact their bank without delay and flag the matter through the relevant cybercrime reporting channel.
