What it looks like
It might be a text about “suspicious activity” with a login link, or a polite call from someone who knows your name. Caller ID and even the text thread can be faked, so the number can look exactly right. The aim is to get your login, your codes, or to make you send the money yourself.
From: Bank Security
Unusual activity on your account. It will be locked in 1 hour. Verify now: https://secure-login.bank-verify.example/id
Why it’s fake: panic and a countdown, and a link owned by bank-verify.example. Your bank wouldn’t send you to a page like this.
Made up for illustration. The sender, company and link don’t exist.
Warning signs
- Urgency and fear“Your account will be locked” or “money is leaving right now”. Panic is the tool. Take a minute.
- They ask for codes or approvalsA one-time code, your PIN or an approval in your banking app is a key to your money. Nobody from the bank needs you to read one out.
- A “safe account” transferAny request to move money to a “safe”, “temporary” or “secure” account is a scam. Your money is safe where it is.
- The number looks rightCaller ID can be faked, so a matching number proves nothing. What they ask you to do is what matters.
- “Stay on the line” or “don’t tell anyone”Scammers want you isolated so you can’t check. A real bank is glad when you hang up and call back.
What to do now
- Hang up or ignore the message. You’re not being rude to a scammer.
- Call your bank yourself, using the number on your card or the official website. If you can, use a different phone, because scammers can sometimes keep a line open.
- Never share one-time codes, your PIN or your full card number, and never approve a request in your banking app that you didn’t start.
- Check your account by opening the bank’s app yourself, not through a link.
If you already clicked or paid
- Call your bank right away and say you may have been scammed. Many banks have a line open around the clock for this.
- Ask them to block your cards and online access, and to try to stop any payment still in progress.
- Change your online banking password, and the password anywhere you reused it.
- Write down what happened: the time, the number, what you shared. It helps your bank and the police.
How to report it
Tell your bank first, then report it to your local police or national fraud reporting service (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk; in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101). Forward scam texts to your mobile provider (in the UK, 7726). There’s nothing to be embarrassed about: these scams are built to fool careful people.