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A convincing Bank of America email, text, phone call, or website can still be a scam: impostors can make contact details look familiar. Don’t click, reply, call a number in an unexpected message, or move money because someone says your account is at risk. Verify the contact through the bank’s official app or website, or call the number on your card or statement.
How do I know if a Bank of America email or text is real?
There is no reliable way to authenticate a message just by its sender name, phone number, logo, or website appearance. Bank of America warns that scammers can spoof those details while claiming there is an account problem and pushing you to act quickly. Treat an unexpected contact as unverified until you check it through a separate, trusted channel.
Look at what the sender wants you to do
Pay close attention to the requested action, not just how polished the message looks. Warning signs include pressure to act immediately, demands to keep the contact secret, requests for your password or one-time verification code, and instructions to move money or buy gift cards or cryptocurrency. Bank of America says it may ask you to confirm account activity, but it will not ask for your password or verification code, or tell you to send money to the bank or someone else as part of that request. Bank of America’s Security Center describes these impersonation tactics.
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Do not click a link or call a number included in an unexpected message to check whether it is genuine. Open the bank’s official app, type its web address yourself, or call the verified number printed on your card or statement. Bank of America notes that it may occasionally ask customers to confirm or update personal or business information, including to meet regulatory customer-information requirements. The important distinction is that a request to verify information does not make a demand to move money or hand over credentials safe. When in doubt, verify independently. See the bank’s guidance on avoiding phishing scams.
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What should I do if I receive a suspicious message?
- Pause. Don’t click, reply, open attachments, call the supplied number, or follow instructions to move funds. Urgency and secrecy are pressure tactics, not proof that the message is legitimate.
- Check independently. Use the official app or website, or call the number on your card or statement to ask whether the bank needs anything from you.
- Report the message. Forward suspicious email or text messages using Bank of America’s name to abuse@bofa.com. You can also forward suspicious texts to your mobile carrier at 7726 (SPAM). Follow the bank’s scam-reporting guidance.
What if I clicked a Bank of America phishing link or replied?
If you responded to the message or otherwise engaged with it, contact Bank of America using the verified number on your card or statement and explain what happened. If you suspect fraud, report it promptly through the bank’s official channel. Follow the bank’s instructions for your account and incident; changing a password alone should not be treated as a complete response to possible account compromise. The bank’s instructions for people who may have been scammed direct customers who responded to contact the bank.
Does Bank of America ever contact customers about account information?
Yes. The bank says it may occasionally ask customers to confirm or update personal or business information, including for regulatory requirements, and may ask them to confirm account activity. That does not mean you should trust an unexpected message at face value. Verify through a channel you choose yourself, and do not comply with a request to share a password or one-time code, or to withdraw, send, or move money. The bank’s Security Center provides its current consumer guidance.
Would a security key prevent this scam?
A USB security key may be an optional additional account-security measure, but it does not authenticate a message or detect a deceptive email, text, call, or website. Bank of America lists security resources, including USB keys, on its account-protection page. Check current compatibility with the sign-in flows you use before buying one; a key is not necessary to report a suspicious message or verify a contact.
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The available official guidance describes a range of impersonation tactics, not one campaign established as the most deceptive. A message can arrive by email, text, phone, or a fake website; no single visual clue proves it is real. The useful test is whether the request, urgency, and requested action can be verified independently—and whether it asks for credentials or money in a way the bank warns against.
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