How to verify a payment-related communication
Contacted about a loan payment? How to check who is contacting you, pay safely and avoid sharing details that fraudsters want.
If you receive a call, message or visit about a loan payment, it is sensible to check who is contacting you before you share information or pay. Genuine collection agents act for a lender. Fraudsters sometimes pretend to. The steps below apply whoever contacts you — including Sri Lakshmi Associates.
1. Ask who is contacting you, and for which lender
A genuine agent should be able to give their name, the agency they work for and the lender that assigned the account. Note these down with the date and time of the contact.
2. Check with your lender using its official contact details
Find the lender’s phone number, email or branch address on its official website, its mobile app or your loan documents. Do not use a number or link sent in the message you received. Ask the lender whether your account has been assigned to the agency named, and confirm the amount due.
3. Pay only through the lender’s official channels
Use the payment methods the lender officially provides — its branch, app, website or the options in your loan documents. Be cautious of any request to pay into a personal bank account or a personal UPI ID. Always keep the receipt or transaction reference.
4. Never share credentials
No genuine lender or agent needs your OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN, CVV, internet banking password or remote access to your phone. Do not install apps or open links sent by someone you have not verified, and do not send photographs of your Aadhaar, PAN or cheque book to them.
5. Watch for warning signs
- Pressure to pay immediately to avoid “arrest” or “legal action today”
- Threats, abusive language, or contact with your family and friends about the debt
- A payment link from an unknown number or a shortened web address
- A settlement offer the lender has not confirmed in writing
- A caller who will not give their own name or the lender’s name
6. If you have already paid, or the amount looks wrong
Keep your receipt and tell the lender. Only the lender can confirm that a payment has been received, correct account details or approve a settlement. Ask for any settlement or closure confirmation in writing from the lender.
7. If you think it is a fraud
If you have lost money or shared banking details, contact your bank immediately so it can block further transactions. You can report cyber fraud on the government’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or by calling the national helpline 1930. For a complaint about a regulated lender that the lender has not resolved, the RBI’s Complaint Management System explains the Ombudsman process.
Checking a call from Sri Lakshmi Associates
If someone says they are calling from Sri Lakshmi Associates, you can call +91 87900 92296 or email info@srilakshmi-associates.com to check whether they work with us, and confirm the lender’s authorisation with the lender directly. You can also use our Customer Assistance page. We will never ask for an OTP, PIN or password.