HDFC Bank Banks On ‘Lola Kutty’ To Promote Safe Banking As Part Of ‘Vigil Aunty’ Campaign

HDFC Bank today announced the launch of its latest campaign, titled ‘Vigil Aunty’ to promote safe banking habits among people.

In a press release, HDFC Bank said that Anuradha Menon who plays the popular character of ‘Lola Kutty’ on television, will be the face of the ‘Vigil Aunty’ campaign.

HDFC Bank already has a cybersecurity campaign called ‘Mooh Band Rakho’ running.  Mooh Band Rakho literally translates into ‘keep your mouth shut’ i.e., don’t talk, as it could lead to breach of your financial security. The new campaign featuring Menon, HDFC Bank said, will complement the existing cyber security campaign.

The bank said in a press release that the ‘Vigil Aunty’ campaign will be done through a series of videos, reels, chat shows, among others, with an aim to create consumer awareness about safe banking do’s and don’ts.

“In the online world, customers are increasingly engaging with social media influencers and content creators to seek information and guidance on a wide variety of topics, ranging from food and travel to entertainment. Hence, we decided to create our very own social media influencer, ‘Vigil Aunty’, to provide customers with information on safe banking habits,” said Ravi Santhanam, chief marketing officer, and head – corporate communications, liability products and managed programmes, HDFC Bank.

This new campaign will run for 4-6 weeks in order to popularise ‘Vigil Aunty’, and encourage people to follow her on social media, WhatsApp and other platforms. 

According to HDFC Bank, since ‘Vigil Aunty’ will be a social media influencer, she will have a continuous presence in the digital ecosystem and will “continue to inform customers about various modus operandi of financial fraudsters, and how to stay safe from them.”

Where Can Vigil Aunty Be Seen?

HDFC Bank said in the release that Vigil Aunty will be a “social media influencer with a presence on Instagram and Facebook. She will also have her own WhatsApp number (+91 72900 30000) to connect with customers.”

In addition, the HDFC Bank website will have a dedicated cyber frauds awareness page where she will be featured. 

HDFC Bank hopes ‘Vigil Aunty’ will “motivate citizens to stay vigilant by keeping them informed about the modus operandi of financial fraudsters, ways to detect cyber fraud attempts, and how to stay safe.”

Vigil Aunty will also host chat shows on various social media platforms and discuss some of the recent incidents of cyber frauds with celebrity guests, too, HDFC Bank said.

What’s The Need For This Campaign?

Cybersecurity is a big issue globally, and according to a recent banking fraud report, 74 per cent Indians have never recovered their money lost in cyber frauds, and the biggest reason for this was unsafe banking practices.

Sameer Ratolikar, chief information security officer, HDFC Bank said, that fraudsters are increasingly adopting social engineering tactics to steal money from customers’ bank accounts. 

“On the pretext of offering certain services or promising help, the fraudsters are luring customers into sharing their PINs, OTPs, passwords, and other confidential banking information. Hence, there is a need to educate customers on safe banking habits and make them aware of the various modus operandi used by fraudsters,” Ratolikar adds.

Kartik Shahani, country manager, Tenable India, a cybersecurity solutions company, said in a statement that cybercriminals are rapidly taking advantage of financial institutions’ growing reliance on cloud-based applications and programs.

“Cloud-based cyberattacks on banks are increasing along with attacks on its remote workforce. Now, malicious forces breaching bank systems is the single biggest risk facing financial institutions today,” he adds.