Is the link in a bank-related SMS genuine or fake? Here's how to tell

Distinguishing between a genuine bank SMS and a fake one has become challenging. Recently, two nearly identical SMS messages purportedly from SBI surfaced; one was legitimate while the other was a scam, yet both contained alerts regarding failed transactions.

We often view bank SMS messages as routine and read them without paying much attention. However, cyber fraudsters are now sending fake messages that are difficult to distinguish from genuine bank alerts at first glance. A similar case involved two SMS messages claiming to be from SBI—sharing nearly identical text, style, and sender names. One was authentic, while the other was fraudulent, with only subtle differences between them.

Recently, Vinni Arora—a Finance Professor at Delhi University and a SEBI-registered Investment Adviser—raised awareness about this issue by sharing a video on her Instagram profile, @moneyvsme. Here is how you can determine whether a link in an SMS claiming to be from a bank is genuine or fake.

How to verify if a bank SMS is genuine or fake?