In today’s digital age, fraudulent messages and calls pose a significant threat. Individuals can inadvertently fall prey to these deceptive communications, leading to potential breaches of their bank accounts. Cybercriminals are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics, making it challenging to distinguish between authentic and fake messages. However, TRAI has implemented regulations to help differentiate legitimate and fraudulent SMS messages.
Fraudsters typically send promotional messages from banks, government agencies, telecom operators, or e-commerce companies. Cybercriminals create counterfeit messages that mimic these, often containing links that, when clicked, can introduce malware or viruses into your phone. These threats can steal your personal data, banking details, and passwords, subsequently used to withdraw funds from your account.
TRAI has introduced a system for identifying SMS messages. Authentic messages now include a sender ID with a suffix:
* **S**: This code indicates messages related to banking, telecom services, or transactions.
* **G**: This is for messages related to government schemes or alerts.
* **P**: This code is used for promotional messages sent by companies whitelisted by TRAI.
Understanding these codes allows you to quickly determine if an SMS is genuine or fake. It’s wise to avoid clicking on any message that arrives without these codes or includes suspicious links.