RBI proposes up to 60-day debit holds on suspected mule and cyber-fraud accounts

The RBI’s draft SOP would require banks to temporarily restrict debits on accounts flagged for suspected money-mule or cyber-fraud activity, backed by detection tools, cybercrime-portal integration, customer alerts and grievance processes. The framework is proposed from April 1, 2027, or earlier if adopted by banks.

— Source publishedFri, 11 Sept, 2026, 22:45 IST·First seen Fri, 11 Sept, 2026, 22:53 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Reserve Bank of India · RBI has proposed mandatory SOPs for banks to temporarily freeze suspected money-mule and cyber-fraud transactions or accounts for up to

Key facts

  • 60 days
  • 20 days
  • 10 days
  • 30 days
  • April 1, 2027
  • August 4, 2026

Why this matters

Banks, payment platforms and retailers may seek partnerships or acquisitions in real-time fraud scoring, cybercrime-portal integration and customer-notification tools ahead of the proposed 2027 rollout.