Axis Bank's ‘Consumer Protection Awareness Campaign’ takes safe banking to the last mile

·         Reached over 69k individuals through awareness and customer education initiatives

·         Delivered through 1,400+ awareness activations across 401 cities & towns in 23 States

Mumbai: Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, recently concluded its nationwide Consumer Protection Awareness Campaign under the theme “Nazar Fraud Par, Sabr Khud Par”, reinforcing its commitment to making banking safer for customers across India. The campaign aimed to educate and empower customers to stay vigilant against evolving fraud risks, while promoting responsible banking practices through sustained awareness and outreach initiatives.

The campaign extended beyond traditional banking touchpoints, covering 401 cities and towns across 23 States, with over 1,400 activations that engaged over 69000 individuals through awareness and customer education initiatives. From major city centres such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai to rural heartlands including Agar, Sambalpur, Ayodhya and Chinamiram, the campaign sparked conversations, encouraged vigilance and empowered individuals to become the first line of defence against financial fraud.

At a time when social engineering frauds are becoming more sophisticated, the initiative focused on equipping customers with practical awareness to identify risks and act early. The campaign directly aligns with the Reserve Bank of India's focus on strengthening customer awareness and preventive education.

The campaign featured scalable, multi-format initiatives, including:

·         Expert-led sessions: Conducted in collaboration with regional Cyber Crime units, RBI and police officials, these sessions were conducted at Axis Bank branches and community touchpoints. They covered six major fraud types (vishing, phishing, screen sharing, sim swap, malware, document forging), along with real-life scenarios, interactive quizzes, and actionable safeguards.

·         Street plays (Nukkad Nataks): Performed in regional languages pan-India, simplifying complex risks into relatable narratives

·         Printed guides and helpline details: Shared to reinforce safe banking practices beyond the sessions

The campaign was strengthened through strategic collaborations with cyber cells, police departments, government bodies, civic authorities, public institutions and community organisations across zones. Key partners included RBI, Uttaranchal Mahila Association, Delhi Police, DMRC, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Police, West Bengal Police, Odisha Police, 120 Battalion and cyber cell and police associations across Maharashtra, among others.

As part of the outreach, Axis Bank also conducted fraud awareness activations during the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, which included Nukkad Nataks and on-ground awareness initiatives at one of India's largest religious gatherings.

Commenting on the initiative, Anoop Manohar, Chief Marketing Officer, Axis Bank, said, "At Axis Bank, consumer protection is central to our dil se open promise of building trust in everyday banking. Through this campaign, we are taking fraud awareness beyond advisories into real, on-ground conversations across communities. As banking becomes more digital, our focus is on ensuring customers are informed, prepared, and better protected in their day-to-day banking.”

Axis Bank’s focus on ‘Safe Banking’ extends beyond this campaign, and is supported by a range of digital safety features, such as:

·         Mobile App Code: Enables secure, app-based authentication for logins and transactions, reducing exposure to OTP-based fraud risks.

·         Face Authentication: Adds a biometric layer of verification, ensuring only authenticated users can access or authorize sensitive banking actions.

·         Safety Centre: A centralised hub that enables both instant protective actions, such as restricting transactions during suspicious activity while also activating proactive controls (e.g., quiet hours) to stay ahead of potential fraud risks.

·         Lock FD: Provides an additional safeguard by preventing unauthorised digital closure of fixed deposits, especially for customers relying on assisted banking channels.

·         SMS Shield: Verifies the authenticity of SMS communications by validating sender IDs against official Axis Bank identifiers, helping detect spoofing and phishing attempts.

Together, these efforts reflect Axis Bank’s broader commitment to building a safer banking ecosystem—where customers have greater control and confidence in their digital banking journeys.