New Delhi, October 24, 2026: State Bank of India (SBI) has confirmed that it has contacted customers whose personal information was identified in a suspected data exposure involving records found on the dark web. The country’s largest lender has also reassured customers that their account balances and funds remain safe.
In an update issued on Friday, October 23, the bank said it had individually notified the affected customers through email and/or WhatsApp. SBI urged customers to remain cautious while using digital banking services and warned them against sharing their one-time passwords (OTPs), PINs and banking passwords with anyone. It also advised customers to be alert to suspicious calls, text messages and emails.
The latest communication follows SBI’s disclosure of a suspected data exposure earlier in the week. According to the bank’s preliminary assessment, approximately 375,000 records found on the dark web were examined, of which 3,897 records contained personally identifiable information (PII).
The information identified in the records reportedly included customers’ names, gender, registered mobile numbers, dates of birth, email addresses and residential addresses. Certain records also contained branch details, Customer Information File (CIF) identifiers, lead IDs and metadata associated with loan and lead records.
SBI said it received alerts about the suspected exposure on October 16 from its Threat Intelligence Service Provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). Following the alerts, the bank activated its cyber incident response and containment procedures and appointed an independent cybersecurity agency empanelled by CERT-In to examine the incident.
The investigation is intended to establish the authenticity and completeness of the exposed information, identify the possible source and extent of the incident, and assess the risks to customers and the bank. SBI has stated that the incident has not had any material impact on its core business operations, financial performance or business continuity. The bank has also maintained that its core banking services continue to operate normally.
While SBI has reassured customers about the safety of their funds, the possible exposure of personal information remains a concern because such details can be misused in targeted phishing attempts and fraudulent communications. Customers are therefore advised to remain vigilant and never disclose confidential banking credentials in response to unsolicited requests.
