The State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest public sector bank, has confirmed a data leak involving the personal information of 3,897 customers, with the exposed data reportedly found on the dark web. The incident has raised concerns over customer privacy and cybersecurity in the banking sector.
In a disclosure to the stock exchanges, SBI stated that a preliminary investigation into approximately 3.75 lakh records identified on the dark web had revealed that personally identifiable information (PII) belonging to 3,897 customers had been exposed.
The leaked information reportedly includes customers’ names, mobile numbers, dates of birth and sensitive documents related to their loans.
SBI Received Warning on October 16
According to the bank, it received alerts regarding the suspected data leak on October 16 from a threat intelligence service provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
Following the alerts, SBI activated its cyber incident response mechanism and security protocols to assess the situation and address potential risks.
The bank said it was monitoring the incident closely and taking the necessary steps to manage the situation.
What Customer Information Was Leaked?
Preliminary findings indicate that the exposed information includes several categories of personal and banking-related data, such as:
- Customers’ registered mobile numbers
- Names and gender
- Email addresses
- Residential addresses
- Dates of birth
- Bank branch codes
- Loan-related documents and information
- Customer Information File (CIF)-related details
The exposure of such information could increase the risk of targeted phishing attempts, fraudulent calls and identity-related scams. Customers should therefore remain alert to suspicious communications claiming to originate from the bank.
SBI Says Core Banking Services Remain Safe
SBI has clarified that the incident has not affected its core banking operations, financial position or business activities.
According to the bank, its major business operations continue to function normally without disruption. The bank has also activated its cybersecurity response measures and is taking necessary steps to assess the incident.
While the data exposure has raised concerns about customer privacy, SBI has maintained that its core banking services remain unaffected.
What Should SBI Customers Do?
Customers should remain vigilant against suspicious phone calls, emails and text messages, particularly those requesting banking credentials, passwords, OTPs or other sensitive information.
They should avoid clicking on unknown links or sharing confidential details with callers claiming to represent SBI. Any suspicious transaction or communication should be reported through the bank’s official customer support channels.
Although SBI has stated that its core banking operations remain unaffected, the incident highlights the importance of strong cybersecurity measures and continued vigilance to protect customers’ personal information.