The SPSR Nellore District Consumer Commission has ordered SBI to stop recovering around ₹49,500 in credit card dues from a customer who became a victim of cyber fraud. The commission directed the bank to write off the disputed amount, restore the customer’s CIBIL score, and pay ₹8,000 as compensation and legal costs. It said SBI failed to properly investigate the fraud, although the customer was partly responsible for sharing his credit card details with the fraudster.
Customer Lost Money in Cyber Fraud
The case was filed by Giddaluru Uma Sankera Rao, a 50-year-old resident of Kavali. He received an SBI credit card in June 2025. On September 16, 2025, he received a phone call from a person pretending to be an SBI credit card official. The caller claimed that his credit card had been blocked and convinced him to share his card details.
The next day, during a WhatsApp video call, the fraudster allegedly hacked his mobile phone. Two unauthorized transactions worth ₹49,502.34 were made from his credit card and transferred to MobiKwik.
Customer Reported the Fraud Immediately
After noticing the fraud, Sankera Rao immediately informed the SBI branch in Kavali and blocked his credit card. Since the cybercrime portal was reportedly unavailable at that time, he filed a cybercrime complaint on September 19, 2025. He also submitted a credit card dispute form to SBI.
Later, he visited the SBI Credit Card office in Nellore on November 25, 2025, and sent another written complaint to the bank on December 22, 2025. However, he claimed that the bank did not take any effective action.
SBI Continued Recovery Process
Instead of resolving the complaint, SBI continued sending recovery notices. The customer even received a legal notice on January 9, 2026. According to the complaint, recovery agents kept calling him despite being informed about the cyber fraud. During a meeting on February 12, 2026, he was reportedly asked to settle the dues by paying ₹35,000.
Consumer Commission’s Observation
The Consumer Commission observed that the customer was partly responsible because he had shared his confidential credit card details with an unknown person. However, it also found that SBI and its credit card division failed to properly investigate the fraud after being informed. The commission also noted that the bank did not appear before the consumer forum during the case proceedings.
Commission’s Order
Holding SBI guilty of deficiency in service, the commission directed the bank to treat the disputed transactions as fraudulent and reverse the liability within 45 days. It also ordered the bank to stop all recovery proceedings and remove any negative entries made in the customer’s CIBIL report.
The commission awarded the customer ₹5,000 as compensation for mental agony and ₹3,000 towards litigation expenses.
Claim for ₹20 Lakh Rejected
The customer had also sought compensation of ₹20 lakh. However, the commission rejected this claim because it held that the customer had contributed to the fraud by sharing his confidential card details with the fraudster.
