It has come to the notice of the Reserve Bank of India that an email has been sent in its name from mail id: alert@rbi.org and signed by RBI Online offering a 'new online security platform'. According to the mail, the 'new online security platform' offers to 'prevent online identity theft in internet banking by asking the customer to go through a two-way authentication factor before he/she properly logs into internet banking every time'. The email then asks the recipi

The Reserve Bank of India, today, released the Annual Report of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme for the year 2010-2011. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme was instituted by the Reserve Bank in 1995 to provide speedy solutions to the grievances of bank customers. There are 15 Offices of Banking Ombudsmen across the country. The report is a synopsis of activities of all the offices of Banking Ombudsman. The report indicates that compared to last year there was decline of 10 per

The Reserve Bank of India has today reiterated that it never contacts the public via unsolicited phone calls or emails asking for money or any other type of personal information. The Reserve Bank does not maintain/give money/foreign currency or any other type of funds to individual or opens accounts for/in the name of individuals. The Reserve Bank has urged the public to remain alert and not to fall prey to frauds or scams perpetrated by individuals who impersonate to

1. Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) will standardise most important terms and conditions (MITC) for at least ten important banking transactions and circulate among banks for adaptation. 2. Banks would initiate the process of providing one view of all bank accounts of a customer including deposits, loans, etc., with the help of available technology, such as, core banking solution. Banks would be complete the process within one year. 3. Banks would convey to the Reserve

The Reserve Bank of India today placed on its website, the Report of the Committee on Customer Service in Banks and sought comments/feedback from members of the public/all the stakeholders on the Committee’s recommendations. The comments/feedback may, latest by August 27, 2011, be emailed or may be sent by post/courier to the Chief General Manager, Customer Service Department, Reserve Bank of India, Central Office, Amar Building, First Floor, Sir P.M. Road, Mumbai-400

The Reserve Bank of India, today, released the Annual Report of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme for the year 2009-2010. The Banking Ombudsman Scheme was established by the Reserve Bank in 1995 to provide speedy solutions to the grievances faced by bank customers. The Report indicates an increase in customers’ awareness of the Scheme resulting in an increase in the absolute number of complaints received in BO Offices. What more, the number of complaints from rural areas a

The Committee on Customer Service in Banks (Chairman Shri M. Damodaran) constituted by the Reserve Bank of India has been granted extension of time upto January 14, 2011 to submit its final report and recommendations. The report was originally to be submitted on October 14, 2010. The extension of time for submission of the report has been necessitated due to the volume of work required to be undertaken by the Committee to fulfill its mandate in regard to the terms of

The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Shri M. Damodaran, former Chairman, SEBI to interalia : Review the existing system of attending to customer service in banks - approach, attitude and fair treatment to customers from retail, small and pensioners segment. Evaluate the existing system of grievance redressal mechanism prevalent in banks, its structure and efficacy and recommend measures for expeditious resolution of complaint

Applications made to various departments of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) can now be tracked on-line through the Application Tracking System (ATS). The Reserve Bank launched the Application Tracking System on its website for convenience of the public. The ATS, cannot be used for tracking complaints made under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme or any other complaints. For tracking the above applications made, the applicants will have to register on the RBI website (ATS li

The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Shri M. Damodaran, former Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India, to look into banking services rendered to retail and small customers, including pensioners. The Committee will also look into the system of grievance redressal mechanism prevalent in banks, its structure and efficacy and suggest measures for expeditious resolution of complaints. The other members of the committee a

The Reserve Bank of India has proactively started issuing general directions to all banks so as to protect the bank customers against banks’ act of commissions and omissions. Called ‘class action,’ such general directions are issued by the regulator in cases that could benefit not only the applicant but all those customers similarly placed without their having to approach their respective banks/ the Reserve Bank. The Reserve Bank has already initiated such class actio

The Reserve Bank of India has, today once again clarified that remittance in any form towards participation in lottery schemes is prohibited under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. Further, these restrictions are applicable also to remittances for participation in lottery-like schemes functioning under different names, such as, money circulation scheme or remittances for the purpose of securing prize money / awards, etc. The Reserve Bank has clarified that it

The Reserve Bank of India has widened the scope of its Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006, to include deficiencies arising out of internet banking. Under the amended Scheme, a customer would also be able to lodge a complaint against the bank for its non-adherence to the provisions of the fair practices code for lenders or the Code of Bank's Commitment to Customers issued by the Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI). The BCSBI is an independent and autonomous w

The Reserve Bank of India today published the Annual Report on the functioning of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme for the period 2007-08. According to the Report, during the year 2007-08, the Banking Ombudsmen received 47,887 complaints, up from 38,638 complaints received in 2006-07. The Reserve Bank of India introduced the Banking Ombudsman Scheme in June 1995 to provide low cost and effective forum for redressal of customer grievances against banks. The Scheme was firs

The Reserve Bank of India has advised members of public not to fall prey to fictitious offers for release of cheap funds claimed to have been remitted by overseas entities to banks in India / Reserve Bank of India. Members of public should also not make any remittance towards participation in such schemes/offers from unknown entities. Describing the typical modality of such offers, the Reserve Bank of India stated that certain foreign entities / individuals, including

The Reserve Bank of India has set up a Committee on Customer Services with effect from September 24, 2007 to look into customer services provided by Reserve Bank of India directly or through banks / institutions with a view to maximize satisfaction to the general public. The Committee is headed by Shri H. Prabhakar Rao, former Controller General of Accounts, Government of India and includes Smt. Vani J. Sharma, former Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India and Shri

      All the departments of the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai which normally function on Saturdays will conduct business as usual on Saturday, September 29, 2007. Ajit Prasad Manager Press Release :2007-2008/416

The Reserve Bank of India today launched a multi-lingual site for the common person. The multi-lingual site gives to the common person the information that they can use in 13 languages. The site includes recent instructions of the Reserve Bank relating to customer service, Frequently Asked Questions, lending rates of banks, Banking Ombudsman Scheme, Right to Information Act and links to commercial banks' websites. There is also a section on the role and functions of t

Bank customers can now appeal against the decision of the Banking Ombudsman where he has rejected the customer's complaint relating to matters falling within the grounds of complaints specified under the scheme. The Reserve Bank of India has amended the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 to enable the customers to appeal against the Banking Ombudsman's decision. The amendments are available on the RBI website. Before the scheme was amended, the bank customers could appeal

All the departments of the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai which normally function on Saturdays will conduct business as usual on Saturday, September 30, 2006. P.V.Sadanandan Manager Press Release : 2006-2007/431