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Don’t trust the incoming text or call to prove who sent it. Stop replying or end the call, then check the claim through your bank’s app or website, or call the number on your card or a recent statement. Don’t click the message’s link, call a number the sender provides, share a password or verification code, or move money to “protect” it.
Why a convincing bank message can still be fake
Scammers can spoof caller ID and make texts, emails, and websites look like they came from a bank. A familiar number, the bank’s name or logo, accurate personal details, or a convincing voice does not authenticate the contact. The CFPB warns that voices can be cloned, too. Verify consequential claims through a channel you choose independently, not one supplied by the sender. The FDIC’s bank-impersonation guidance and the CFPB’s overview of common fraud and scams explain these tactics.
Urgency is another warning sign. A message may claim there is a suspicious purchase or account problem and insist you act immediately. A real bank may send legitimate alerts, but an alert cannot authenticate itself; confirm any consequential claim with the bank independently. The FDIC reported in June 2025 that FTC findings identified bank impersonation as the most reported scam carried out through text messages in 2022, nearly twenty times the 2019 level. That is a historical finding, not a current-year statistic.
Warning signs to take seriously
- A demand for sensitive information: Be wary of requests for your password, Social Security number, account or card details, or verification code. A text or email asking you to “verify” account information may be phishing; the CFPB advises contacting the bank through a trusted channel instead. See its guidance on bank or credit-union verification messages.
- A one-time code request: Never read a verification code to an incoming caller or send it in a reply. The FTC says, “Anyone who asks you for your account verification code is a scammer.” Only enter a code into the genuine bank sign-in or verification flow when you started that process yourself. The FTC explains how verification codes can be misused.
- Instructions to move money: Treat directions to withdraw cash, buy gift cards, use cryptocurrency, or transfer funds to a “safe account” as a scam. Legitimate financial institutions do not ask you to move money to protect it. The CFPB lists steps and contacts for scam or fraud help.
- Pressure to stay on the phone or keep quiet: Hang up if a caller discourages you from checking independently or tells you not to tell anyone. The FTC states, “No legitimate fraud department will tell you to keep the call a secret.”
- A link, app, or remote-access request: Don’t open unexpected message links, install an app at the caller’s direction, or grant remote access to your device during an unsolicited fraud call. A fake link can lead to a lookalike bank site.
How to check whether the alert is real
- Stop the incoming interaction. If you want, ask which bank the caller claims to represent and what issue they are reporting, then end the call. For a text, stop replying. Don’t let the sender dictate how you verify.
- Choose a trusted route yourself. Open the bank app already installed on your device, type the bank’s known official website address, or call the number printed on your card or a recent statement. For a text-only alert, open the app or call the bank independently.
- Ask the bank to check the specific claim. Ask whether the transaction, account issue, or requested action is real. Don’t call a number in the message or use a callback number given by the caller. The FTC also warns that search results can include sponsored ads for fake numbers, so don’t rely on the first result when looking for contact details. See the FTC’s guidance on unexpected calls about money at risk.
- Keep credentials and money under your control. Don’t share passwords or codes with the incoming contact, and don’t transfer funds to an account or destination the contact provides.
- Follow up through the verified channel. If the bank confirms a real issue, follow its instructions in the app or on the call you initiated.
If you already replied, shared a code, or moved money
Contact your bank promptly through its independently verified app, website, card number, or statement number. Tell the bank exactly what you shared or did, including whether you disclosed a password or code, clicked a link, granted remote access, or transferred money. Stop communicating with the incoming caller or texter and follow the bank’s instructions through the verified channel.
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WHonor RFID Blocking Card 6 Pack, Anti-Theft Debit & Credit Card Protector
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You can also report a suspected scam to the FTC. The CFPB identifies the FTC, FBI, your state attorney general, and local police as possible reporting contacts. Find their contact details through their official websites rather than links or numbers sent by the suspicious contact. The CFPB scam and fraud guidance outlines these options.
Quick Recap
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RFID Blocking Card for Wallets, Contactless NFC Credit Card ID Protection Safe Bank Cards Passport Entire Wallet Purse Shield Protector Blocker Guard Pack of 4
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