5 Methods to Report a Lost or Stolen Debit Card

Archana and Sonali were roommates living in Delhi. As they returned home from a birthday celebration, Archana realized she had misplaced her wallet in the cab, which had her debit card and other identity documents. As the girls tried to contact the driver, they also realized that the first step would be to report and deactivate the card. This would avoid its misuse if it falls in the wrong hands. Therefore, they diverted their energy to call Sonali’s banker cousin Deva to help them in the process.

When Deva heard the panic in the girls’ voices, he calmed them down and walked them through the steps. First, he asked to check if any transaction had happened since losing the card. This is an essential step as all banks request their customers to report unauthorized transactions. An ‘unauthorized transaction’ is any activity that occurs in the customer’s bank account without their knowledge or approval. In Archana’s case, it includes the possibility of ‘debit’ (money withdrawn from the account) using her card.

Archana has an RBL Bank Savings Account. The bank allows users to deactivate their debit card through 5 methods, which include

1. Internet Banking
2. Customer Helpline
3. Mobile App
4. SMS
5. WhatsApp

Deva asked the girls to either use RBL Bank’s Mobile App or the Internet Banking facility to block the card at the earliest and on priority. It is to be noted that while the Bank offered multiple aforementioned methods to deactivate, reporting the incident through mobile or internet banking, was also as reliable as any of the other options. He asked them to adhere to the following steps to follow when deactivating the debit card using the internet banking facility:

After entering the Retail Internet Banking website, go to the ‘Requests’ tab in the menu. Select ‘Block Debit Card’ and choose the account number and corresponding debit card number. One of the final steps in the process is to select the reason for reporting. In this case, it is ‘Stolen or Lost’. Once done, click on ‘Submit Online’ and click on ‘Confirm Transaction’. The website requests for an OTP to authenticate the request. Enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number and click on the ‘Submit’ button.

Once the process was done, Archana received an alert on her mobile informing her of the complaint registered. Although the process was done, Deva educated the girls on the other possible methods to block or report a stolen debit card. He also shared an informative video that will help them and others around in a time of crisis.

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1. Customers can call the helpline numbers +91-22-61156300 or 1800120616161 to deactivate the card. The process takes a few minutes, and the customer’s card is deactivated or blocked almost instantly by the customer service executive.

2. Alternatively, customers can also use the SMS facility to temporarily block the card from anywhere. To do so, the customer must send the following message from their registered mobile number to 9223366333 – TBLOCK < Space > Last four-digit card number < Space > Customer Id or Permanently Block:- BLOCK < Space > Last four-digit card number < Space > Customer Id.

3. As a digital-first bank, RBL Bank also offers its customers to deactivate or report lost cards through mobile banking. To report the incident, log in to RBL MoBank App. Click on ‘Manage Your Cards’ from the menu and select Block/Unblock Card. Use the drop-down menu to choose the option Temporary/ Permanent Block. Enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number and verify to complete the process.

4. For tech-savvy users, RBL Bank also offers WhatsApp banking that can be used to report or block a card. To do so, the customer has to send ‘Hi RBL’ to 8433598888 from the registered mobile number. RBL Bank uses an automated bot facility to address customer concerns over WhatsApp quickly. Select the Temporary Block my Debit Card option number from the menu to complete the reporting process.

While Archana acted upon her loss and protected her account immediately, it is important to be cautious while dealing with bank assets, including using ATM machines and swiping cards in public places. Here are a few tips for safeguarding your account.

• Opt for virtual debit cards instead of physical ones as they are more secure. Virtual debit cards are almost instantly issued by the bank that gets stored on your mobile. These cards have a number, validity date, and CVV that can be used for online transactions and digital payments.
• If you are used to carrying debit cards, make sure to keep them in a proper wallet.
• Always remain vigilant while using cards in public places. Your card’s CVV and ATM pin are privileged information that should not be shared with anyone. While swiping the card in a crowded place, be aware of the surroundings while entering your 4-digit pin.
• Use ATM machines that are in prominent places. Although these machines are protected, there are various ATM scams that involve fraudsters replacing parts of the machine to extract account details.

As convenient as banking has gotten, there are also many ways for customers to fall prey to fraudsters and their acts. RBL Bank encourages its customers to remain cyber safe always (#RahoCyberSafe) and be aware of the methods to protect themselves and their loved ones.